Pirates!
by wolfvonbiele93
Summary: Yami, Bakura, Marik , Seto, and Matsuo are the most infamous pirates in every galaxy. When they meet five normal teens, sparks fly. Will their love prevail despite outside forces bent on destroying it? Y/Y R/B M/YM S/J OC/OC Lemon-version on Mediaminer!
1. Chapter 1:Much Ado About Domino

_Chapter 1: Much Ado about Domino_

In the vast reaches of space, a large ship, with its black flag bearing the usual skull and cross bones and flowing due to the force of its speed, headed straight for the Prota Galaxy. The deck was open, revealing the beings milling around the boat. The creatures aboard varied in all shapes and sizes. One, carrying a large barrel adorned with metal bands wound around the top and bottom, had a large bulbous body. His shoulders were broad and bulky, and attached to them are unusual arms. They were long, suction-cupped tentacles that break off into five smaller tentacles at the end of the first, like fingers. His legs were large, muscled, and bare, as was his chest, revealing a blue, swirling dragon tattoo that went across his chest, traveled up to his neck, around the back of his bald head, and curved around his eye, which rested in the dragon's open mouth. His head was pear-shaped, with deep yellow eyes with a blood red pupil in the center. His skin was indigo, with a purple tinge. Thankfully, tattered pants covered his waist, and the rest of him, until his mid-thigh.

As he made his way across the ship's deck, another creature, which completely contrasted his large size, passed him. This creature was small and round, with two long arms that were at least three times her body height. She used these arms to walk, and the five, lanky fingers sprouting from her hands helped her keep a good grip on the ground. A pair of smaller arms with only four fingers branched out from her gumball-like body. One of the fingers was large and meaty, which was useful for grabbing things like the small metal box clamped in her small hands, which were clamped tightly around the box, as if she was afraid to drop it. Her hands were shaking because of this, making the contents of the box clang loudly inside. Her body was a dull pink, with orange, sinewy veins protruding from both pairs of her arms. Her eyes were a deep magenta, adding to the whole 'gumball' effect.

She passed by a group of birdlike creatures, all of which hissed at her as she went. She just glared at them before turning away from them in disdain. These creatures were small in stature, but obviously strong; you could tell by the muscles bulging out from their skin. All of them were male, so their chests were bare as well, showing off even more muscles. They had human heads, faces, and legs, but bright feathers were attached to their arms and their nails were replaced by knife-sharp talons. Tail feathers dragged on the deck as they walked away, squeaking angrily in their native language at the mistreatment by the woman that passed them. Near them was the captain's cabin, and placed in front of it was a large cauldron with a strange creature watching over it, whose occupation was obvious.

His body was that of a normal human, his large hands deftly cutting strange looking vegetables, which were obviously from other planets than Earth, into unusual shapes. What made him different from normal humans was his skin color, which was a bright red, as if recovering from a nasty burn. Other things that made him different were his hair and his eyes. His hair was nothing but a smoldering flame, blue on the inside and fading out into a pure white on the outer edge. His eyes were as empty as the surrounding space itself, except for the small coal-like iris in the very center. He cut open a vegetable that looked like a bright blue squash with darker blue wavy stripes covering it. Its skin swelled under his knife before bursting, sending the juice toward the fiery cook. Some of the juice landed on his hand and immediately turned to steam. A small 'hiss' was heard, both from the cook and from his skin. He glared at the knife before cutting the veggie up quickly and dropped the pieces into the boiling pot to his right.

He suddenly hunched forward, and straightened smartly soon after. His hair flared up and turned completely white; his irises dilated angrily and were brighter than ever. He whirled to a cowering boy behind. The boy was completely normal; not a single feather, scale, or tentacle adorned his body. That was because he was human.

"You little wretch!" the cook yelled, making the human flinch away from him. "If you don't watch where you're goin', I'll make ya tha main course fer the Cap'n's stew. He always did like meat better than vegetables….." A sadistic smirk crossed the cook's face. The human let out a small squeak and scampered away from the cook, going to a group of other humans. He pushed his way into the group, sneaking a fearful glance backwards. He said something to the other humans, and one patted him comfortingly on the back. This was all watched by the cook, who spat on the ground in disgust at the human. He turned back to the caldron and picked up his knife to continue where he left off. He grabbed a yellow, radish-like vegetable with green polka dots and cut it into pieces, revealing the green insides.

"Ah, Cooky, me boy, you done with that stew yet?" a voice – smooth, deep, and silky – asked from behind him. The cook turned towards the voice, leaning against the lip of the pot.

Behind him stood a man; he had long, silk, midnight-black hair tied back at the nape in a thick braid. His eyes were a deep gray and shone with mischief, which anyone could tell was ingrained into his very soul. A leather strap with beads hung off the ends, entwined so much into his hair that it seemed impossible to remove. His skin was lightly sun-kissed, from years on the open, planet-bound seas. A billowy, cream-colored shirt covered his well-built body beneath it, with a red jacket over-top. Brown pants covered his lower half and leather boots covered his feet.

"Almost done, sir. One more thing ta add." the cook paused to grab a pinch of what looks like ground up spices and dropped it in. "And then," he added, grabbing a ladle and pouring some into a large bowl to the brim. "It's done." Once finished, he handed over the bowl, with five smaller ones to the other man.

"Why thanks. I'm sure the captain will like it." He nodded and winked before walking off, towards the captain's cabin, which was near the left side of the ship, just under the wheel. He opened the door without knocking, knowing he was welcome there. Only high-ranking officers under his captain could do that without fearing for their lives.

Inside the door was a dimly lit room with maps of every planet, in every galaxy, adorning the walls. In the middle of the room was a desk with four figures crowded around it.

"Alright, you scalawags, we can't look for treasure on an empty stomach!" the black-hared man exclaimed, which attracted the attention of the other pirates. The man on the left of the desk, an icy, blue-eyed brunette looked at him and glared, no emotion showing on his handsome face.

"Shut _up_, you idiot," The brunette growled.

"Ah, Seto!" the black-haired man answered enthusiastically, "You're just grumpy cause you're hungry! Here have some soup!" He held a bowl out to the other man. The man, now known as Seto, glared at his raven comrade, but took the offered bowl anyway.

"Che, you know Seto's _always_ grumpy, Matsuo. He doesn't need a _reason,_" A deep, smooth voice said from Matsuo's right.

"How right you are, Bakura." Matsuo answered, smirking at the silver-haired fiend. Bakura smirked when Seto looks at him, his mahogany eyes shining with mischief.

"Bakura, don't start," Another voice – just as deep and smooth as Bakura's, though much softer - interjected before Seto could retaliate. All eyes turned to the owner of the voice. His cool, crimson eyes met the others levelly, teaming with mirth.

"Yami, don't stop them! I love watching Seto and Baku fight!" the final figure – a blonde on Matsuo's left – whined loudly. The owner of the voice ducked suddenly, just narrowly missing the dagger that was stuck, still quivering, in the wall where his head had been.

"_Don't_ call me 'Baku', Mariku," Bakura, the one who threw the dagger, growled menacingly, "And stop acting like a three-year old." He added as an afterthought. Mariku just smiled, his eyes holding an insane glint in them, as he patted his sandy-blonde spikes. Matsuo laid the largest bowl on the desk and divided its contents out between him and the rest of the beings in the room, mostly to give Bakura and Mariku something else to do than plot each other's demise. They ate quickly; the only sounds echoing in the room was the slurping of them eating the soup. Matsuo sighed, as if about to approach a subject he really didn't want to, and laid his empty bowl on the desk.

"So, Captain, how has the planning gone?" he asked Yami. Yami ran a sun-kissed hand through his tri-color spikes. It was black with red tips and blonde, lightning-bolt bangs shooting up along with the spikes, and spiky, blonde bangs hanging down over his forehead.

"Pretty well. We've decided on Domino – what d'ya think?" Yami answered, looking over to Matsuo with a lop-sided smirk.

"Sounds good. It's a very prosperous city, with a lot of banks and stores. The Queen's Navy has a base there, though, not to mention the fact that _she_ also lives there, too." Everyone in the room shuddered at the mention of the woman Matsuo alluded to.

"Yes, but the Navy has never been able to catch us in Domino before. And besides, we can avoid that woman like the _plague_," Bakura chimed in.

"True, True. So, Domino it is, then?" Matsuo asked, looking around the room.

"Domino it is." Yami said, smirking lightly and leaning back in his wooden chair. All of the men in the room smirked as well, anticipating the plunder that was about to come.


	2. Chapter 2: We Have to Do WHAT!

Hey, everyone! I just wanted to tell you that there will be some Anzu bashing and mentions of character death in this chapter. All Anzu fans beware!

* * *

_Chapter 2: We Have to do **What?**_

Domino, the city of culture and trade, was home to the most defended and well-stocked military fort which sported the queen's seal in all of the Prota galaxies and the smaller ones surrounding. It stood nearly one hundred feet tall, a monolithic structure in the form of a square, complete with guard towers facing each of the four cardinal directions and a humungous gate that let only those with clearance through. Known for being a hub of activity, the fort was the backbone of the entire city, as well as Domino's main line of defense. If any force, large or small, threatened the lives of the citizens, the fort's guards, deployed at various places in the city, were there to stop it. The leader of the fort was the city's governor, effectively intertwining the city's politics with that of the fort.

In the far corner of the fort, on the bottom floor, sounds of clashing steel echoed out into the hallway as two teens inside a small, but well-taken-care-of, abode battled, sweat plastering their clothes cling to their bodies. They were coming to the end of their bout, as it was obvious that their energy was slowly dying.

"Ha!" one of the young men shouted as he lunged forward, swiping at his friend's head with his sword. His friend ducked under the blow, which just barely passed over his golden-blonde hair, before swiping at the first boy's stomach with his own weapon. The intended 'victim' of his sword jumped back, narrowly missing the blade by an inch. He raised his arms, both hands on the hilt of the sword, and slashed downward at the other boy's head. The blonde blocked the blow and parried it aside, looking up with a smirk and twinkling hazel eyes.

"Not this time, Yugi," He said and pressed it against the boy's, Yugi's, stomach, but not enough to wound. Yugi slowly backed up, his hands up in a defensive position. The other boy smiled triumphantly.

Suddenly, Yugi – having to look up because of the height difference between the two teens – lunged forward. He grabbed his friend's wrist and wrenched the sword away from him. He crouched down and swung his leg around, knocking the other boy's feet from under him. The other boy cried out as he fell flat on his back. He looked up to see the end of a sword in his face. Yugi slowly lowered the sword to become level with the other boy's throat.

"Sorry, Jou, but I win this time," Yugi said before smiling. Jou, the boy on the floor, sighed and his shoulders slumped at the phrase.

"Brava!" an effeminate voice yelled off to the side. They turned toward the owner to see a young woman with long brown hair and green eyes with two other boys. All three of them were smiling.

"Yes, you guys are really good!" one of the boys, a soft-spoken, whitenette, about sixteen years of age, said happily. A smile spread across Jou's face and Yugi's smile widened.

"Thanks, Ryou," Jou said to the white-haired boy.

"Same to you, Aiko," Yugi said to the girl as he lowered his sword and backed away from Jou.

"Lost again, Jou?" the last boy, with long, sandy-blonde locks, who was about the same age as Ryou, said teasingly.

"Shut up, Malik. Yugi's the best swordsman in the entire fort! You couldn't beat him either," The honey blonde answered back indignantly.

"Yeah," Malik said, smirking lightly, "_that's_ why I don't challenge him on a daily basis." He only received a glare in return.

"Come _on_, you guys. Don't fight!" Ryou said, his big brown eyes pleading. Both boys sighed and looked at each other. They stared for a second before their faces broke out into a grin. They pulled each other into a hug, wrapping their arms around each other's necks.

"Aw, Ry," Jou admonished, "we were just pickin'! We meant none of it!" Ryou smiled happily at the pair.

Suddenly, the door of their training room flew open. A woman sauntered in, her hips swaying lazily. Her brown hair was cut into a bob that framed her heart-shaped face, with blue, piercing eyes that shone out with a sharp edge. Her eyes were filled with anger and annoyance for some reason. She was wearing a cerulean, Victorian-style dress with bracelets embossed with a stone of the same color hanging of her dainty wrists. Underneath the dress was a corset, made obvious by the sudden lift her bosom seemed to have gotten. Malik took one look at her and rolled his eyes. The others just snickered.

"Anzu, _what_ do you want?" Aiko said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I was sent down here to tell you that my daddy wants to see you. I don't know _why_ though. He could have sent someone more fit to be a messenger." She looked around, her pretty face scrunching up in disgust. "This place is a _dump_. How can you live here?" she asked incredulously.

All of the teens bristled at the statement. They had inherited this "house" when Yugi's grandfather, Sogoroku, had died a few years ago. He had taken Ryou, Jou, Malik, and Aiko in when they were very little, raising them as if they were his own children despite his advancing age.

Aiko had been the first to be adopted into their household; she had been dropped on Sogoroku's doorstep when she was a baby, and had become Yugi's adopted sister very quickly. Therefore, Sogoroku was the only parent that she had ever known, and she cared greatly for him, as well as Yugi.

Next was Malik. Malik's mother had died during childbirth, leaving his father to take care of two children – him and his older sister, Isis – on his own. Not long after that, his father had taken in Rishid, another orphan, to help with raising Isis and Malik, but the very man himself died not long in a nasty sandstorm in Egypt soon after Malik's fifth birthday. To make matters worse, Malik had been separated from his remaining family during the sand storm, and had only been saved by Sogoroku by sheer chance; if the old man had not been in the desert at the very moment he had been – just after the sandstorm had settled – Malik probably would have died before his life had even begun.

The third to be taken in was Jou. Jou's father had once been an honorable soldier before he had given himself over to alcohol after he and his wife had divorced. The woman had broken him when she left him – taking Jou's little sister, Serenity, in tow – leaving Jou as the victim to a violently drunk father. Sogoroku, a mere cadet at the time, had stepped in and had Jou taken from him for fear of the boy's life when he was seven. Jou had considered Sogoroku his one true father and his savior ever since.

Last but not least was Ryou. Ryou's mother and sister had died when he was nine, and his dad, a researcher for the Queen's army, had died soon after on a trip to Egypt, where he was accidently struck by a tram and killed. Sogoroku, a good friend of the man, had acted quickly after learning the news of newly orphaned boy, and took Ryou in to be the last of their little quintet.

All in all, Sogoroku had been a wonderful man and soldier, and Anzu's scathing words did not sit well with any of them. They loved their pseudo-father very much and for a snotty brat to come in and insult his pride – his home – grated on them worse than any personal insult. Ryou and Yugi immediately stepped forward to stop Jou and Malik from retaliating.

The two blondes forced themselves to relax, although their fists stayed clenched.

"Well, Anzu, not all of us are the governor's kid," Aiko answered calmly, although her eyes teemed with anger.

"Right, I forgot; none of you have _ever_ been that lucky," She said spitefully.

"Is there anything _else_, Anzu?" Yugi interjected to prevent Aiko from lashing out at her.

"Yes," she answered, her eyes narrowing at Yugi angrily for some reason. Malik growled slightly, stepping close to Yugi in a defensive stance. Jou saw this and did the same.

"Anzu, why are you looking at Yugi like that?" Ryou, surprisingly, chimed in. Usually the small teen kept silent, but the look in her eyes unnerved him. She looked like she wanted to claw his eyes out with her bare hands.

"Oh," She said, her eyes blinking rapidly as she came back to herself, "He just reminds me of someone who is very…_resistant_ to my advances," She answered airily. Yugi raised an eyebrow in surprise. Not many people looked like him, especially with the tri-colored spikes adorning his head and large, child-like amethyst eyes peeking out from spiky, blonde bangs.

"Well, _bye_," She nipped lamely and bounded back up the stairs.

"I hate that woman," Aiko growled when she heard Anzu slam the door behind her.

"Well," Yugi said gently, turning to put his sword in the wooden cabinet behind him "she can't help it. That's just how she was raised." Jou just snorted and followed suit, putting his own sword near Yugi's. He looked up above their swords and smiled softly. Resting on two wooden pegs was a beautiful, sheathed sword. Its sheath was pure obsidian with a red dragon curving around its body. Golden scales were scattered around among the red scales and golden whiskers trail along the sheath like rivers. Small lengths of silver thread hung off its metal hilt. Sapphires and rubies were encrusted into it, and shone in the light of the lamp next to it like stars. This sword had been Sogoroku's and they decided to take the best care of it that they could.

"So," Yugi said to break the silence, "I guess we should go see the captain now, huh?" the others nodded and followed Yugi, who walked up the stairs reluctantly. Nervousness had begun to stir inside them.

Governor Naoya Mizaki was a well-known and fearsome man. He had strong, broad shoulders, which were almost always covered in his navy-blue captain's uniform. His black, curly hair was always pulled back into a ponytail with the random strand of hair falling into his ice blue eyes. A disdainful smirk marred his admittedly handsome face when he was in the presence of anyone who is his inferior and he was always one to put those who were below them in their 'rightful' place. He always had that chip on his shoulder when it came to most people because he just so happened to be born from a noble and powerful family. Apparently, Anzu had inherited that trait.

All five of them knew the captain almost always only called someone into his office when their rank was being changed or they were in _big_ trouble. None of them were part of the military, so they were afraid they had done something unknowingly to get themselves into trouble – that was where their nervousness stemmed from.

When they reached the top of the stairs, they turned left down a large hallway with wooden walls. The carpet was blood red and pictures of the previous captains lined the walls. At the end of the hallway was the captain's office. They walked to the door and stopped, none of them wanting to open it. Jou sighed.

"Alright; _I'll_ do it," He said, dread filling his voice. He hesitantly rapped his knuckles against the door. A muffled 'come in' was heard from inside the room. They looked at each other and nodded, gathering up the courage to go inside. Malik reached forward and opened the door, wincing when it creaked loudly. Inside was the captain, standing near a window that looked out at Domino, his fingers clasped behind his back.

"U-um, Captain?" Yugi said timidly. Mizaki looked over at Yugi in surprise.

"Ah, Mouto. Glad you came." He looked over at the others. "And you brought you're little _friends_, too. Good." a satisfied smirk spread across his face. Malik and Jou just rolled their eyes and the others sighed softly.

"So, Mizaki – I mean – _sir_, what do you need us for?" Jou asked, catching himself quickly. He glared at Jou before answering.

"Well, Katsuya – I mean – _Jounouchi_," he quipped in return, earning a glare from Jou, "my daughter wants to go out to the town tomorrow, and you're going to take her."

"WHAT?" They all yelled indignantly.

"_You're_ her father! Why can't _you_ take her?" Malik exclaimed, his fiery temper taking over.

"Don't speak to me like that you brat!" he exploded. "Sogoroku is the only reason that any of you are allowed to stay here, so you better watch you're mouth!" this outburst effectively shut the teens up.

"Now, you will take her out tomorrow – all of you. I have a meeting tomorrow with the general on how to deal with the rise to power of a certain pirate crew." His eyes narrowed at the teens, showing them how serious he was.

"Which one?" Aiko said curiously.

"The crew of the Dark Millenium." He answered gravely. All of the teens perked up at the mention of this certain crew. They all enjoyed stories about pirates, but the ones about this crew interested them the most. The crew of the Dark Millenium was said to be the toughest crew in the universe. Five main men ruled the ship with an iron fist. The first, Matsuo Akiyama, was said to be one of the best weapons masters that ever lived. He could master any weapon on the first try. There was a rumor going around that he was taught at the age of five by the great weapon master, Subeta Kyouryoku (1) and defeated him in a sparring match.

Two of the other pirates, Mujou Bakura (2) and Kashaku Marik (3), were known as the most ruthless men alive. They enjoyed killing, thieving, and torture, which was their favorite. They were also said to be the best thieves that ever lived. They could steal the shirt off your back without you knowing it until the cold air flew across your bare chest.

The next pirate was Kaiba Seto, the first mate of the Dark Millenium. He was said to be a genius mentally, as well as with a sword. If he couldn't outsmart you, which was very,_very_ rare, then he could physically outmatch his opponent. Not much was known about him besides that, except that he had a younger brother who traveled with him and the crew and that he never showed emotion to anyone except his brother.

Last but certainly not least, was the captain of the Dark Millenium, Atemu Yami. He was said to be the best pirate in history. He could outsmart and outmaneuver a fleet of the Queen's Navy's airships with just the Dark Millenium at his command, and the Navy was said to have the fastest ships in space and the best officers in the Prota, Epsilon, and Beta galaxies. He was also the only person to ever beat Seto at a mind game.

The teens had also heard that these five men were gorgeous. Fanclubs in every galaxy were popping up that were dedicated to them. Actually, there were quite a few in Domino; there had to be at least one fanclub per pirate in just the city itself.

"So," Naoya said, breaking the their reverie, "You _will_ report here tomorrow at noon. And don't be late, understood?" all of them nodded dumbly, not really hearing what he said, "Ok, then, you are all dismissed." He said absentmindedly.

"B-but-!" Malik started, having returned to his senses first.

"I said _dismissed_!" the captain yelled in a booming voice.

"Just leave it, dude," Jou muttered, grabbing Malik's bicep and dragging him away.

"B-but he can't do this to us! This is _torture_!" Malik answered angrily, allowing Jou to drag him away. The others ignored his outburst, although secretly agreeing with him.

"G'bye, sir." Aiko muttered bitterly, grabbing Malik's other arm to assist Jou in removing their friend. Ryou and Yugi followed, closing the door behind them. They all mentally relished in the slam the door made when it did. Malik ripped his arms away from Jou and Aiko, huffing and straightening his shirt indignantly. He stormed off angrily and the others followed dejectedly, dreading the day ahead.

* * *

Footnotes:

No. 1: his name means, if the website I looked it up from is correct, "powerful blade."

No. 2: Bakura's last name means "ruthless" or "heartless"

No. 3: Marik's last name means "torture"

(I tried to find the most fitting last names for their personality. What do ya think?)


	3. Chapter 3: Out on the Town

Chapter 3: Out on the Town

"Hurry up!" Anzu screeched, standing in the middle of the fort.

"Coming!" someone yelled frantically off to the side. A pair of double doors burst open as Jou, Malik, Yugi, Ryou, and Aiko practically ran over each other in their rush out the door.

"We're here! We're here!" Yugi, who was leading the group, shouted as they ran up to and double over, trying to catch their breath.

"How unsightly," Anzu sneered. She spun on her heel with her nose in the air and walked towards the doors of the fort. The others followed, rolling their eyes. They had made it to the captain's office on time but had stopped to get a few things before going to meet Anzu in the courtyard. Apparently, that was a horrible mistake.

"Drama Queen," Aiko muttered to the others behind her hand. They all snickered slightly, trying to hide it with their hands. Anzu spun sharply around at the sound, making Aiko stop to avoid a collision. The others ran into Aiko and almost knocked her over.

"What did you say?" Anzu said suspiciously, seeming to grow about seven feet in height.

"Nothing you need to worry your pretty little head about," Malik stepped in, patting her on the shoulder. She glowered and uttered a small 'humph!' before turning around again. The others looked at each other, trying not to laugh. When they reached the gate, a soldier in a navy blue uniform with a gold lanyard running over his chest rushed forward to greet them.

"Why, hello, Ms. Anzu!" he said, tipping his hat to her and smiling softly, completely ignoring the other teens.

Well, maybe he just wanted to greet Anzu.

"Hello to you, too, Aigyo (1). Would you be a dear and open the gate for us?" she said sweetly, batting her eyelashes flirtatiously at the love-struck soldier. Malik made a gagging motion behind her and all of the others snickered once again. Anzu shot a glare over her shoulder before snapping her head towards Aigyo with a sweet smile.

"O-of course, Miss," Aigyo stammered, a faint blush spreading across his face. He turned back to the gate and pulled out a small piece of metal. Its top was long with three prongs; two of them were bunched together on the left, and the last one stood alone on the right. The body of the 'key' was a square that was about an inch thick. The sides tucked in and extended down, forming a long, skinny rectangle for the handle. All in all, the 'key' looked like a blocky fork with a missing prong. Engraved onto the body of the fork was C-shaped letter with a red square in the center. Aigyo pushed the key into the lock in the center of the gate so that the indention of the lock corresponded with the prongs. Once it was in, the square turned a bright green. He turned the key to the right, causing a small ding to sound a second later. A hiss sounded from the door, and mist emitted from the bottom. The doors jerked apart with a loud groan and stopped. A second later, the doors slowly moved apart, scraping against the ground loudly.

"Thanks, dear." Anzu said softly, walking through the door. She stopped in the center allowing a green light to wash over her. She walked briskly out a moment later, knowing she had nothing to get her in trouble. High up in the guard tower, her X-ray image appeared on a computer (2), showing that she had no weapons on her person (3). The others rushed to the door, muttering their 'thank yous' to Aigyo. The light scanned them quickly and they rushed towards Anzu. Their images also appeared in the tower, showing that they were clean. They caught up to her, bracing themselves for the long day ahead.

* * *

Meanwhile, a large ship glided effortlessly into a hidden dock on the far side of Domino. On the side of its metal hull, the words 'Dark Millenium' gleamed in bright gold. The flames of the burners on the side of the ship simmered down before going completely out. On its deck, the door to the captain's cabin burst as Bakura waltzed out with Marik, Seto, Matsuo, and Yami following closely behind. This caught the attention of the rest of the crew, which congregated around them. They all murmured amongst themselves, confused about what was happening. A loud banging noise filled the air and everyone turned towards the source. It was the cook, who was banging his ladle against his cauldron.

"Alright, you ingrates! The captain wants ta say something, so shut yer mouths!" He yelled, effectively shutting the crew up.

"Thank you, Unga (4)," Yami said, addressing the cook, amusement clear in his voice. Unga nodded, obviously pleased with this praise.

"Bakura, Seto, Marik, Matsuo, and I are going to go ashore to map out the city. When we return, we will begin to plan our raid," Yami said, his voice echoing loudly off the walls of the ship. Cheers erupted from the pirates' mouths at their captain' words. Yami smirked slightly; his words had been meant to get their blood boiling for the raid. His crew had become restless because of days of nothing but the open space. A raid would do them some good.

Suddenly, a young boy elbowed his way through the crowd, forcing his way to the front. He was about four foot, three inches tall with waist length black hair and big, blue eyes. He seemed to be only about eleven years old, an unusual age for someone on a pirate ship. Despite his small size, he was very wiry and maneuvered easily through the mass of bodies and limbs. The shirt that he was wearing seemed to engulf him, his pants just barely poking out from beneath. He looked at the older men with hope shining in his eyes.

"Can I come with you, aniue?" He pleaded.

"No, Mokuba," Seto stated firmly, trying to resist his little brother's gaze. That was when Mokuba used his secret weapon: the puppy dog eyes (5). Seto's eyes widened, mere seconds from caving, despite the obvious danger of Mokuba coming along with them. Yami chuckled slightly, receiving a glare from Seto.

"Mokuba," Yami said softly, "you are not coming with us."

"B-but!-" Mokuba began to protest before Yami cut him off.

"No buts. We need you stay here to and take care of the ship while we're away. But, if you don't want to do, then we could always find someone else. Hey, Unga-"

"No, I wanna do it! Please, please, please!" Mokuba said, jumping up and down in front of Yami.

"Well, if you really want to…"

"Yes, of course! You can expect the best out of me, Captain!" Mokuba said enthusiastically, saluting as smartly as he could.

"Thank you, Mokuba. I'm sure you'll do great," Yami said, smirking in amusement.

"You're welcome! Have fun!" Mokuba said, bouncing away happily.

"Yami, I could've handled him," Seto growled angrily, his pride slightly hurt. How could he be a ruthless pirate if he couldn't even resist his little brother?

"Yes, well, I handled him. Let's move on, shall we?" Yami said, a challenge evident in his eyes. Silence was his only response.

"Let's go, guys," Matsuo interrupted, knowing that Seto wanted very badly to retaliate and, knowing those two, it would get ugly. The five of them walked to the edge of the ship and stopped at a trap door that blended in seamlessly with the deck. Marik bent down and opened it, revealing metal rungs in the shape of a staircase that led to a chamber beneath the deck. Yami motioned to one of the cabin-boys to follow them through. Marik lowered himself down into the passage, clambering nimbly down the rungs with practiced ease, and landed lightly on his feet. The others did the same, descending quickly due to years of practice.

Yami walked to the side of the ship and pushed on one of the metal plates. The plate gave way under the pressure and flipped around, revealing a gray button on the other side. He pushed the button and the ship began to shake. A piece of its seemingly seamless hull pulled away from the side, like a drawbridge. It slammed down on the wooden dock, making it shudder under the tremendous weight of the metal. A small, seven foot-by-seven foot hole appeared in front of the group, with just enough room for even the biggest of the pirates to fit through. Yami, Seto, Bakura, Matsuo and Marik walked through the door and onto the dock, and then turned toward the ship. Yami gave the human boy the signal to close the door. The boy nodded, showing he understood, and pushed the button again. The panel the button was on flipped back to the other side, making it now invisible to the naked and unskilled eye. The door groaned loudly, jerking away from the dock. It closed slowly, creaking as the metal of the door scrapes against the sides of the ship.

"So," Bakura started, his eyes shining with mischief, a smirk covering his handsome face, "let's go have some fun."

* * *

Yugi groaned in annoyance.

Seriously, today was _not_ a good day.

Not only had he and his friends been forced to follow Anzu around for the last three hours, Anzu had not allowed any of them any sort of break the entire time. And now, while Anzu sat comfortable and cool under an umbrella at a restaurant, he and his friends were forced to the rest of her shopping for her because her, quote unquote, "feet hurt." Yugi just sighed softly, shaking his head. He pulled out the list that Anzu had given him for the hundredth time, looking it over. It was a list of purses Anzu wanted for the twenty new dresses she had just bought. Yugi suddenly felt bad for Captain Mizaki; he was the one who had to deal with Anzu's shopping appetite.

He looked around taking in the wonderful colors that surround him. That was one of the reasons he loved to live in Domino; the city was filled with so many different people and cultures that it was amazing. Domino was also known for the citizen's ability to get along. Hearing a shout to his left, Yugi flinched.

Well, at least _moderately_ getting along.

He looked over to see a man with floppy dog ears and square glasses that rested on his rather large nose. He was bantering angrily with a pot-bellied man that looked like a fish out of water, literally. Gills lined his thick neck, and he seemed to be breathing heavily. Scales covered his forehead, and his purple lips were thin and stretched, as if dried out. Yugi giggled softly, noticing the very large jug of water resting on the table next to him. Yugi noticed that the dog-man was carrying a basket that was filled to the brim with baby bottles. Yugi raised an eyebrow. Now, why did he need so many bottles?

That was when he noticed it. 'It' being the large baby carriage next to the dog-man. And, boy, was it _big_! It stretched out about three feet, with four wheels like a tram (6). The carriage was light purple, which was a weird color for a baby carriage; normally they were either pink or blue. A cat-like woman standing over the carriage was tapping her nails, well, claws, impatiently. Yugi put a little distance between himself and the woman; she looked about ready to punch someone – from where he was standing, her victim would most likely be the fish-man – and he did not want to be collateral damage.

As Yugi walked by, he saw the reason why, one, the carriage was so big, and, two, why it was purple. Inside the carriage sat five children, each with their own little section to themselves. The first four children were female; he could tell by their frilly pink dresses and the bows fastened in their hair. They all took after their mother; fluffy, cat ears protruding from their scalps. The last child was obviously male; he was wearing an adorable, navy-blue suit, complete with a golden anchor pin on his shirt. He took after his father; large, dog-ears flopped cutely over the side of his face. All of the children had inherited their father's brown eyes and their mother's auburn hair (7). He looked up from the adorable kids and his eyes and the woman's caught. Yugi smiled warmly at her, and she smiled gratefully back.

Apparently, she needed that.

Yugi continued on with a small bounce in his step, happy at the thought that he had brightened someone's day. He felt something ram into him, knocking him off his feet. A small 'oof!' emitted from his mouth when he hit the ground. He looked up, and suddenly, he was looking into the most beautiful crimson eyes he had ever seen.

* * *

Footnotes:

No. 1: His name roughly means 'loving.' I wanted him to be the sweet, love-struck fool that Anzu could manipulate into doing her dirty work.

No. 2: Yes, they do have computers, but it's kinda like how computers were in America when they first came out: only the military and important businesses can use them. I wanted my AU to have some sort of cool technology.

No.3: It's kinda like a really big metal detector thing to make sure that none of the people leaving the military fort, who are not soldiers on duty, have taken any of the weapons that could potentially threaten the civilians. Yes, I really thought this thing through that much.

No.4: His name means 'meal' in Swahili. I wanted his name to mean something to do with food, but also sound kinda cool.

No.5: Ah, the ever-famous puppy dog eyes! I just had to put this in this story. Anyone who puts Mokuba in a story has to include it; that's just how it's done!

No.6: A tram in this context is the same as one in our society; it's used to get people around town without having to walk. Domino's streets – well, _my_ Domino's streets – are pretty narrow, so a car wouldn't fit.

No.7: All of those people who have seen the movie, "Treasure Planet" know who I am referring to. If you haven't, one, go see it. NOW. It's one of the best, recent, animated movies by Disney. Two, I am referring to the professor and the ship captain in "Treasure Planet" and their kids. The captain and the professor end up falling in love; she is the captain, he is the professor. They are minor characters, but their relationship is adorable, and you see their kids at the end of the movie. I may have tweaked their appearances a bit, because I haven't seen it in a while, but I am talking about them. Also, just wanted to say: I DO NOT OWN THEM! They are the product of Walt Disney pictures, and I am making no money off of putting them into this story.


	4. Chapter 4: Meetings and Emotions Part 1

Hey, everyone! Thanks to all of my readers (which, unfortunately, amounts to about three to four people.. ) who reviewed!

"blah, blah, blah": talking

'blah, blah, blah': thinking

* * *

_Chapter 4: Meetings and Emotions, Part 1_

Yugi stared up into the startling red eyes in surprise. Unfortunately, he didn't have time to take in the rest of the person before he was hauled roughly off his feet. The person's large, strong hand grabbed his small wrist tightly and dragged Yugi along, getting them lost in the crowd. Unfortunately, the person was dragging him in the opposite direction of the shop he needed to go to. When the person – who he assumed was male based on the firm grip around his hand – had grabbed him, he had been so surprised that his right hand loosened, making him drop his list.

'Well, so much for shopping,' Yugi thought sarcastically.

Shouts came from behind him, as well as a loud 'crack' noise that sounded like wood breaking. He looked over his shoulder to see a group of guards looking in his direction and a vegetable stand that seemed to have toppled over in the chaos, as well as a felled woman beside it. Yugi felt a slight hint of guilt when he realized that it was (albeit indirectly) his fault that the poor vegetable vendor had lost his stand and make the poor woman fall, but he was soon distracted by the guards.

Yugi could see the anger bubbling up in their eyes, as well as determination and hatred. What had this guy done to make the guards, who had always been very nice to him and his friends – if not a little flirtatious - hate him so much? The guards had been forced to stop to steady the woman that they had run into and help her gather the things that had dropped, as well as right the vegetable stand to please the red-faced vender off to the side, who looked ready to explode. This pause had given himself and his kidnapper a considerable distance between them and the guards.

"Stop, pirate!" one of the guards yells, not at Yugi, but at the man pulling him. The man looked over his shoulder and a smirk spread across his handsome face at the guard's cry. Fear immediately filled Yugi's heart, and he gulped slightly.

'Pirate?' he thought nervously. The fact that he was practically being held hostage by a pirate not only scared him, but also filled him with this weird thrilling sensation. Finally, he had some excitement in his life! Now, to be honest, probably was not the time be so happy, however.

The man pulled Yugi into and alleyway and stopped abruptly, spinning Yugi around so that his back was facing the man's chest. The man let go of Yugi's wrist, only to clamp his hand over Yugi's mouth and wrap his other arm around Yugi's slim waist. The strong arm pressed him back against the other man's chest and a small, muffled squeak escaped him. Yugi's cheeks turned bright red, and he was suddenly thankful for the darkness of the alleyway. He could actually feel the muscle of the man's chest mold perfectly against Yugi's back. Yugi, being the hopeless romantic that he was, couldn't help but marvel at how well he fit up under the man's chin and in his arms. His cheeks turned a shade darker, mentally scolding himself at the thought. He didn't even know what the guy looked like, let alone what he was like as a person. He had no reason to be thinking this way!

A few minutes later, the guards came bounding past the alley's opening, and he could feel the man's arms tighten around him. Thankfully, none of them noticed the two figures huddled inside. The man waited a few seconds to see if they were going to come back. The guard's clamor died away and Yugi felt the man behind him exhale slowly, his warm breath flowing over the hairs on the back of Yugi's neck. Yugi shivered slightly at the feeling. That was when he realized the man hadn't released him yet. He knew the man was a pirate, and they were both in a dark, secluded alleyway.

_Alone_.

With no one around to hear him if he screamed.

Yugi gulped at the thought, suddenly very scared.

"I am going to release your mouth and, for your own good, you had better not scream." A deep – admittedly sexy ('Shut _up_, hormones!' Yugi shouted to himself) – voice growled near Yugi's ear, warm breath washing over his exposed neck. Yugi shivered involuntarily again at the voice and the threat. The man lowered his hand and Yugi obeyed him, although every fiber of his being was telling him to scream and run for it. The other arms slipped from around Yugi's waist and both hands came up to rest on Yugi's slightly trembling shoulders. The man spun around suddenly, letting Yugi finally meet his kidnapper face to face. Yugi couldn't but admire the man.

As Yugi had previously noticed, the man's were a deep, calculating crimson, which seemed to cut into Yugi's very soul. Adorning his head was a mass of spikes, quite like Yugi's own, but with some differences. For one thing, his spikes were tipped with red instead of purple, like Yugi's. He also had lightning-bolt-like hair that shot up along with his spikes, which Yugi did not have. His skin was a dark caramel – as if he had lived under the sun for most of his life – which was a complete contrast to Yugi's pale skin. His body was toned and lean, which Yugi could tell even if he had clothes on. A creamy, billowy shirt covered his torso, with the front open to just above his abdomen, which showed just enough skin to make the imagination run rampant. Black pants covered his legs and were tucked into black boots at the ends. Two belts – filled with guns, daggers, and other weapons, Yugi noticed – crisscrossed over his hips, adding a slight flair to his look. All in all, this guy looked like a manlier, sexier version of Yugi. Something Anzu said flickered in the back of Yugi's mind, puzzling the young boy. Something about a resistant look-a-like of his…Yugi looked up at the man, noticing his eyes wandering over Yugi's body. Yugi blushed immediately and a smirk spread across the man's face.

Yami looked the boy over, immediately liking what he saw. The boy was at least five inches shorter than Yami, and innocence seemed to radiate from him. He had large, amethyst eyes set in a soft, cherub-like face with soft pink lips and a small, button-like nose that rests in the center of his face. Soft, spiky, blonde bangs hung in front of his eyes, much like his own bangs. Black spikes tipped with purple sprout from his scalp, which looked as smooth as silk. His body was slim and effeminate, with smooth, supple skin. A white shirt covered his torso, which was also covered by a black jacket that had little red buttons sewn into it. Black pants cover his shapely legs and tucked into black boots at the ends. Despite his little look-a-like's innocent demeanor, he had quite a dark style. Yami looked and noticed that the little one had noticed that he had been essentially checking him out. He saw the small boy's cheeks flush and smirked in amusement. He definitely wanted to get to know the innocent smaller male more.

"What's your name, little one?" Yami asked, startling the boy.

"Y-yugi. Yugi M-moto," The boy stammered in a soft, angelic voice.

"Well, Yugi, my name is Yami," Yami said, purring the boy's name on purpose. He couldn't help but feel triumphant when the boy blushed beautifully again.

"Y-yami? As in Yami Atemu?" the boy said fearfully, his eyes widening to a size Yami didn't know was possible.

"Ah, so you have heard of me," Yami murmured, frowning to himself before putting his amused expression back onto his face. Well, that changed things.

"Of course I have; everyone in Domino has heard of you!" Yugi exclaimed, seeming to gain some confidence. Yami smirked, though surprised inside; he hadn't known he was _that_ famous.

"So that's why the guards were after you," Yugi murmured more to himself than to Yami. Yami sighed. He had hoped the little one hadn't noticed that tidbit.

"Yes and, now that you know where I am, you're gonna have to come with me," Yami said, more than a little happy at the new development. Yugi interested him greatly, and kidnapping him would allow him to get to know him better.

That is, if Yugi didn't hate him for it.

Yami shook his head, ending that train of thought. He would deal with that later.

"W-what?" Yugi gasped in alarm, hoping he had not heard Yami correctly. He took a step back, as if preparing to bolt. Yami shot his hand forward, grabbing Yugi's wrist and pulled their chests together. Yugi gasped in surprise, stumbling slightly.

"Forgive me for this," Yami sighed regretfully, pulling a dagger out of one of his belts.

"Forgive you for wha-" Yugi started, not noticing the menacing weapon, before Yami slammed the hilt of the dagger into the back of Yugi's head. Yugi cried out in pain, his eyes widening before fluttering closed. Yugi's body went limp and his head lolled forward, resting against Yami's chest. Yami gazed down at him, not being able to stop himself from admiring his sleeping form. Yugi really did look very cute when he was asleep.

He shifted Yugi in his arms and hoisted him up bridal style, marveling at how light the little male felt. He turned and walked cautiously out into the open street. When he realized that it was empty, Yami relaxes slightly. He felt Yugi shift slightly and snuggle against his chest (1). The edges of Yami's mouth twitched, trying to form a smile. Instead, Yami frowned, very confused. He hadn't smiled in years – since he was about eight, if he remembered correctly – and he had never met anyone who had made him want to smile before (except Mokuba, but he didn't count). This was an unusual development that he would definitely have to look into later. He shook his head, ridding himself of that thought and set off towards the other side of Domino and eventually, the Dark Millenium.

* * *

Jou cursed under his breath, crushing the list that Anzu had given him angrily in his hand. He sighed and smoothed it out, looking hopelessly around at the stores. None of them were the ones he needed. Anzu had given a list of hats to buy for her to give to her friends. All of the shops around had him something to do with food. That was horrible for him, especially; at that exact moment, his stomach rumbled loudly in answer (2). He had not had any food since breakfast, which was three hours ago. His stomach growled angrily again, and Jou decided that he couldn't handle it anymore. He stuffed the list in his pocket and stopped at a small, nearby restaurant. The sign over the door read "The Wicked Cauldron" and a delicious smell came from within. He followed the smell, opening the wooden door. Inside there were tables scattered around the shop. Some of the tables were filled, but most of them were empty. A good-looking brunette occupied one particular table in the back.

His hair (he was pretty sure it was a man, because of his obvious lack of breasts) was cut short and looked smooth, like melted chocolate. His body was slim and lanky, with some muscle that Jou could see from here. He had broad shoulders, even broader than Jou's, that are covered by a creamy, white shirt. Over his shirt was a black jacket that stretched all the way down to his knee (3). The cuffs of the jacket were rolled up, revealing his long arms. Black pants covered his long legs, which were crossed over each other, suggesting that this man was quite sophisticated. For some reason, it irked Jou that he couldn't see the man's face.

Suddenly, the waiter, and eight-armed octopus-man appeared at the brunette's table. The brunette looked at him and, from Jou's angle, revealing his face perfectly. His hair, which he realized was combed to perfection, fell into the most strikingly beautiful cobalt-blue eyes he had ever seen. They were piercing and ice cold, taking in and calculating everything around him, dissecting it with the precisest of movements.

His lips were full and turned down in what seemed like a permanent frown. The air of sophistication surrounding him was ruined by the condescending look in the man's eyes. There was also a harsh pride shining those beautiful eyes that Jou found very…_appealing_. He was kind of disappointed he was in a 'look-but-don't-touch' situation with this guy, but he had to deal with that.

Jou started in surprise when he feels a hand on his elbow. He turned to see a young woman who was only about two inches shorter than him. She had gentle brown eyes and a soft smile.

"Would you like to sit down, sir?" she asked politely.

"Yes, thank you," Jou answers, sending her a warm smile. To his surprise, a faint blush spread across her cheeks. Jou raised an eyebrow but shrugged it off. He apparently had that affect on women. He followed her to a table on the side. He glanced out of the corner of his eye and realized that he had a pretty good view of the lovely brunette in the corner.

"H-here's your menu, sir. Aetna (4) will be here in a moment," She motioned for him to sit down as she spoke, smiling shyly. She walked towards the waiter, who was still taking the brunette's order. He saw her point his way and his eyes widened. He had not wanted to be seen by the brunette, and the hostess had not helped. The waiter, Aetna, turned his way and their eyes connected. Well, that was great. The brunette would see him practically stalking him.

Just _wonderful._

* * *

A few moments before...

Seto sighed, turning towards Aetna.

"Yes?" he said sharply.

"Wh-what would you like to have, sir?" Seto smirked slightly, realizing that he made the waiter nervous. He glanced down at the menu, seeing only one thing that he found interesting.

"The…Crimean Stew, please," He answered politely, albeit coldly. Suddenly, a young woman walked up to octopus man.

"Aetna, there's a new customer over there," She said, a blush on her pale cheeks. Apparently, the waiter had noticed this, too, for he raised a wispy eyebrow. He followed to where she was pointing and realization dawned on his face. He turned back to Seto.

"The Crimean Stew, right?" he said distractedly.

"Yes."

"Anything else?"

"No."

"Okay, then, you're food should be out soon." He gave the order to the girl, who walked it to the kitchen. Seto's eyes followed where he was headed and he was immediately interested in what he saw. The new customer was a boy with shaggy, dark-blonde hair. He was lanky and tall, only about an inch shorter than Seto. His eyes were a deep hazel, and filled with so much emotion. He could faintly detect a fiery pride hiding behind the depths.

He found he liked that very much.

He saw the blonde say something to Aetna (most likely ordering), which dragged his attention to the boy's lips. They were a light pink, and look absolutely perfect, as if just begging to be captured. Seto shakes himself out of his reverie, mentally scolding himself. He was here to map out the city, not fantasize about some blonde he didn't even know. He brought his glass – that he just noticed was on his table – to his lips, discreetly searching for another entrance to the shop, besides the front door. That would make his escape too conspicuous. He needed to leave, now. That beautiful blonde was distracting him from his mission. There were not many times when something – especially a person – distracted him, but he had learned at a young age to either completely ignore it or get as far away from it as he could. His eyes catch on a small backdoor to his right. It was the only alternate door he could see to leave the restaurant from.

Perfect. Now all he needed was to wait for the right moment….

At that exact moment, a soft sound came from his right. He looked over to see a boy of about twelve holding a violin. The melody he was playing was slow, as if for a love song. Couples began to stand, moving to the small area in front of the kitchen. They begin to sway in time with the beat, getting lost in the music and the dance with their loved ones. Seto smirked, mentally thanking the boy; he had just provided him with the perfect distraction. He slunk away towards the other door, slipping out silently.

* * *

Jou looked over at the boy in surprise. He was shocked a boy so young could play so well. He couldn't stop himself from looking over at the brunette's table. To his surprise, the brunette was gone, his glass half-full on the table (yes, half-full. Let it never be said that Jounichi Katsuya was not an optimist.). Suddenly, Aetna appeared and placed the sandwich he had ordered in front of him. Jou smiled gratefully up at him, remembering how hungry he was. He blinked in surprise when he saw the pissed off look on the waiter's face.

"Um, you okay, dude?" he asked uncertainly.

"Yes, sir. A brunette in the corner just left before we were able to bring him his food – which was very hard to make, mind you – and before paying for his drink."

"Really?" Jou said weakly, shocked that the brunette he had been fantasizing about had committed a crime. It wasn't a terrible one, but still.

"Yes," Aetna snapped, slinking away sulkily. Jou sighed softly, looking over to his food; he might as well enjoy it, even if the brunette wasn't going to.

He tucked into it with gusto, relishing the delicious taste. He definitely needed this; he smiled when his stomach quieted down in response. The food was gone quickly, succumbing to his heavy appetite. He stood up, feeling totally satisfied. He rummaged through his pocket, looking for some money. So what if he needed it to pay for Anzu's shopping; her father had enough money anyway. He found a few bills, enough to pay for the food, and some change, enough to give the gypped octopus man a generous tip. He felt bad about what had happened with the brunette, and he wanted to make up for it.

He placed the money on the table and left quietly, feeling slightly heavy. He couldn't get that brunette out of his head. When he left the restaurant he was met with a puzzling silence. Where was all the commotion that he had heard before he came in? He looked up at the sky, realizing that the sun was beginning to set. Crap! He needed to get back to the fort soon, or the others would be worried sick.

"Hey kid, watch out!" a voice called from the side. Jou's head snapped up to see a carriage coming straight towards him. His eyes widened in fear and he froze in his place.

'Oh no!' Jou thought fearfully. He squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for impact. Suddenly, a pair of strong arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him out from the path of the carriage and into a strong chest just as the carriage came rumbling past on the cobblestones where he had been standing. He stared at the spot in shock, realizing how close he had been to death. The arms released him and he spun around to thank who had saved him. To surprise (but not to ours! :D), it was the brunette from the restaurant. The brunette smirked at Jou, and he couldn't help but blush in response.

"It figures you'd be an idiot," The brunette said, his deep, sexy voice washing over Jou in cold amusement. Jou immediately bristled at the statement, his blush vanishing.

"Shut up, you jerk! I am not an idiot!" Jou yelled back, anger shining in his eyes.

"Oh, really?" The brunette said sarcastically.

"_Yes_," Jou growled, mentally daring the brunette to comment.

"Then why did you just stand there and almost let that carriage run over you?" Jou glared at the brunette. His tone was so condescending! Jou wanted to hit something.

Or some_one_.

"You know what? I don't have to explain myself to you, you jerk," He spun sharply on his heel, turning his back to the gorgeous jerk.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" the brunette called over amusingly from behind him. Jou turned back to him, his eyes filled with confusion.

"What are you talking about?" Jou said warily. The brunette smirked.

"Aren't you going to thank me?" He said back. Jou's eyes widened. Okay, this was the last straw! Who did he think he is? Jou decided he should voice his thoughts.

"Who do you think you are?" Jou exclaimed angrily.

"Seto Kaiba, actually," The brunette answered, relishing the look of shock on the blonde's face.

"Y-you're a pirate," Jou said in fear, backing up slightly.

"Yes and, now that you've spotted me here, I'm gonna have to take you with me."

"What? No!" Jou exclaimed, bracing himself for a struggle. The brunette didn't look that strong, but he had heard the rumors…Seto chuckled slightly, lashing out unexpectedly with inhuman speed at Jou. His hand, well, _fist_ collided with Jou's stomach and the blonde doubled over in pain, his hands clutching at his sides. Before he could straighten up, Seto slammed his fist on the back of Jou's head, knocking him out. The blonde fell down to his knees, before falling completely onto the ground. Seto crouched down to gaze at him and the last thing Jou saw before passing out was a pair blue orbs looking into his.

A look of guilt flashed across Seto's face for a brief second, then vanished just as quickly. He knew the way he had knocked the blonde out was rather violent, but he wanted to make the kidnapping go as quickly as possible. He knew the blonde would be ready for a fight, and he didn't want to draw any more attention to himself. Okay, he really needed to find out the blonde's name; it was getting annoying calling him 'the blonde' all the time. He looked the blonde over, noticing a piece of paper poking out of his pocket. He picked it up, straightening out the edges a little more. On the top were the words 'Katsuya Jounouchi' written in a full, curvy script that looked like how a woman might write it; beneath it was a list of hats that were mainly for females. Why would a boy need this? He shook his head, getting that thought out of his mind. What he needed to worry about right now was how to get Katsuya (5) to the ship without anyone noticing.

He looked around him, checking to see if there were any witnesses. Thankfully, there weren't. Most of the shops had closed and most people had already gone home for the night. He bent down and scooped the unconscious blonde up effortlessly, arranging him so that he had an arm behind his back and underneath his knees.

Maybe this would be easier than he thought….

* * *

Footnotes:

No.1: I couldn't help but add that part. Yugi is such a kawaii character, and he would totally do that.

No.2: Ah, yes; Jou's ever-wonderful appetite. Can't have a Yu-Gi-Oh! yaoi fanfiction without it!

No.3: This coat is kinda like my version of Seto's infamous trench coat. This is also another crucial component to a Yu-Gi-Oh! yaoi fanfiction.

No.4: So I changed his name because not being able to find the right accent to go over the 'r' was bugging the crap out of me. So, it's Aetna now. Aetna is named after Mount Aetna in Greek mythology where the god of the forge, Hephaestus, was said to work (which caused the eruptions that the volcano is known for) with his cyclopes assistants making weapons and other things for the gods in Mount Olympus. Once again, nothing to do with the guy; it was just the only name that sounded cool as well.

No.5: Seto doesn't know that Jou wanted to be called Jou, so he just called him by his first name.


	5. Chapter 5: Meetings and Emotions Part 2

Hey, everyone! This is the chapter where the rest of the pairings meet! Aren't you excited?! Anyway, hope you enjoy it (And I hope I portrayed Bakura and Marik correctly..)! Thanks to those who reviewed! Warning! Sexual situations and innuendoes. This includes attempted rape, kissing, and the mention of prostitution. (Yes, I have decided to reward you wonderful reviewers with some action, because of your wonderful patience; at least it's long!)! This is rated T for a reason, people!

Chapter 5: Meetings and Emotions Part 2

Ryou looks around, realizing that he was hopelessly lost. He had made a wrong turn _somewhere_, and had ended up in a bad part of town. A man appears next to him, holding out a small can in his gnarled fingers. His tattered clothes hang off his skinny arms loosely. A small satchel hangs off his thin hips, looking very empty. It is tattered and old, it's strap frayed with age. Dark, leathery skin is stretched across his sunken cheekbones, his eyes bulging out from his skull. Dark bags are under eyes, showing that the man had not much, if any at all, sleep. One of his eyes is crooked and milky – an aspect of blindness. A large scar runs through his blind eye and curves around the bridge of his nose, leaving a large, pink line across his face. The other eye is a murky brown. Wispy, white strands cover his round head. A hooded cloak also covers him, giving the poor man some extra protection from the elements.

"Some money for food, sir?" the man asks, holding out the can. His voice is screechy and raspy, not necessarily pleasant to Ryou's ears.

"U-um, I'm sorry, but I-I can't." he answers softly, immediately regretting saying it. He turns away from the old man and walks away swiftly. He felt horrible; giving was in his nature, but he needed the money to buy Anzu's things. He didn't want to let her down, nor did he want to let the poor man starve. His poor soul was torn. He spins back around, his mind made up. He runs back to the man, tapping him lightly on the shoulder.

"E-excuse me, sir?" he says uncertainly.

"Yes?" the man answers hopefully.

"H-here." He reaches into his pocket and grabs a few bills and places them in the man's can. "I guess I did have some money after all." Ryou murmurs and shrugs his shoulders lightly, as if trying to explain himself.

"Thank you, sir!" the man exclaims, running away happily. Ryou giggles softly, feeling much better now that he had helped that man. He turns around and walks away, entering a main road. A bright smile covered his beautiful face. He walks by quite a few people, all of them staring him intently. The smile disappears from his face, replaced by a fearful expression. Why were they staring at him like that? Some of the stares were blatantly lustful, the others were a mixture of surprise and envy. He felt kind of bad for some of them; they had no home for Kami's sake! Suddenly, a rough hand grabs his elbow, yanking him into an alleyway. A pair of hands pushes him roughly against the wall, holding him there tightly. Ryou squeaks in surprise, looking up at his attacker. It is a man who is about 5 inches taller than Ryou and very thin. Tangled, greasy hair covers his head and falls into his black, glazed, and hungry eyes. Ryou had a nagging feeling that it wasn't _food_ that the man wanted.

"My, how pretty you are." The man slurs, his breath washing over Ryou's face. Ryou scrunches his face in disgust; the man's breath smelled of alcohol and cigarettes. The man squeezes Ryou's arms, making him whimper in fear. The man's callused hand runs along Ryou's jaw line, and his finger traces Ryou's lips. Ryou's body freezes, afraid of what the man was going to do next. The man lunges forward, smashing his lips against Ryou's abruptly, making him squeak again. Ryou immediately begins to struggle against him, his body writhing against him. The man moans into the kiss and forces his tongue into Ryou's mouth. Ryou makes a sound of protest, bucking his hips against the man's hip unconsciously in a desperate attempt at throwing his attacker off. The man stays strong, however, actually pushing back against Ryou, driving him harder into the wall. His left hand reaches down and runs over Ryou's thigh and his right grabs the back of Ryou's neck, pushing Ryou forward. Ryou sobs softly, realizing that this man was going to rape him, and no one was doing anything about it. He places his hand against the man's chest, pushing frantically. He needed to get away! Where was that homeless guy when he needed him?!

Bakura sighs, walking aimlessly down the street. There was _nothing_ to do. Zip! Nada! Zero! This place was a dump. It was obviously the bad side of town; the people around here are homeless, drunkards, or prostitutes. Yes, some of the males are too. Unfortunately, none of them are very attractive. Some of the girls were okay, but he had always been more of a man's man, anyway (1). He pushes a drunken man as he walks by, laughing as he runs into the wall and passes out.

"Hello, gorgeous." A voice purrs near him in what the speaker obviously thought was a sexy way. He glances to the side to see a woman looking at him. Her dress is torn slightly at the bottom, revealing the dirty, ruffled layers beneath and one of her legs. It comes in tightly at her waist, making her seem thin while pushing her bust at the same time. The top part is low cut, showing her…_assets_ quite visibly. Her eyes are a murky green and are staring openly at him with lust. Her long, blonde, _unwashed_ hair is wavy and falls down her back. She walks forward, her boots clicking on the cobblestone street and sways her hips sexily. She walks within a few inches of Bakura and places a hand on his chest, tracing circles daintily with her pointer finger.

"So," she murmurs, "What's a fine gentleman like you doing in a place like this?" She trails her finger down his chest and stops the sash tied around Bakura's waist, looking at him suggestively. Bakura smirks, deciding that he would play along.

"Actually, I was looking for a little…_fun_." Bakura murmurs back, emphasizing the word 'fun', knowing that would catch her attention. Of course, she didn't know exactly what kind of _fun_ he actually wanted…

"Really, now?" She answers, reaching up and twirling a strand of Bakura's hair in her finger. "Well, I guess you could say I am an expert on _fun_." She looks Bakura in the eye. Bakura pulls her against his chest, feeling her smaller body flatten against his. He bends down and places his mouth near her ear.

"What is your name?" he purrs. He feels her shiver.

"Luna (2)." She breathes.

"Well, Luna, I suppose you would be disappointed to know that I don't want to be with trash." He growls. His grip on her loosening. He wanted to give her room to let her anger out.

"What?!" she yells, pushing away from him angrily. "You jerk! You just lead me on, only to reject me?!"

"Pretty much." Bakura answers, smirking widely; oh, how he loved playing with people's emotions!

"How _dare _you!" she screams, swinging her hand towards his face to slap Bakura. Bakura catches her hand mid-swing, gripping her wrist tightly.

"Don't even _think_ about it." He growls, squeezing her wrist tighter. She looks at him in fear, her body frozen. He lets her go and she bolts away from him. He watches her leave, feeling a little sad. Playing with her emotions had been his one source of entertainment.

Now what was he gonna do?

"Help! Someone, please!" a voice cries from a few feet away. He raises an eyebrow in curiosity and walks over to where the voice came from. Normally, when he heard someone ask for help, he wouldn't care – if you couldn't defend yourself, it wasn't his problem – but that voice was different. It was soft and beseeching, filled with panic and fear – a truly beautiful combination in his eyes. He rounds a corner into an alleyway, hearing a curious muffled sound. What he sees is actually not a surprise to him in this area. A nasty man who _seriously_ needed to go take a bath – he smelled of nothing but _alcohol_ and _smoke _for Ra's sake – was forcing himself on a small male. The male was pushing frantically on his attacker's chest, obviously desperate to get away. He rolls his eyes and walks forward, grabbing the man's collar. He swings the man bodily backward, towards the opposite wall. He couldn't help but find satisfaction in the loud thump that came soon after as the man slammed against the wall. He slides down the wall, lying unconscious at its base. Bakura smirks at the drunk before turning towards the boy. His eyebrows rise in surprise, disappearing behind his bangs. What he sees is a creature more beautiful than he thought possible.

The boy has beautiful, ivory skin that looked incredibly soft to the touch. His hair is long – about waist length – and cascades down his back like a dove-white waterfall. Some of the strands pool at his exposed – and entirely edible-looking – collarbone, curving around the nape of the boy's swanlike neck. Bakura's eyes travel up the boy's beautiful neck, landing on his heart-shaped face. His eyes travel to the boy's cherry red lips, which were pulled into a surprised 'o'. They looked particularly claimable to him. Bakura looks upward more to see a pair of beautiful and soulful brown eyes. They are gentle and warm, shining with relief. The boy looks up and their eyes lock. The boy's cheeks turn a pretty pink, but he doesn't look away. He definitely looked much cuter when he was blushing….

Ryou stares into his savior's deep, dark, mahogany eyes. Mischief danced wildly in them, as well a weird sense of interest. Was that towards him? He immediately felt embarrassed at his inability to save himself. His shy nature had always made him vulnerable to other people's wills. It had started ever since his father had distanced himself from Ryou and that had made him become antisocial. Meeting other people had always been a problem for him. One thing his father had given though: the opportunity to meet his friends. He could tell that the man in front of him was totally different. He's taller than Ryou – about four inches to be exact. His skin is dark; it reminded Ryou of melted caramel. His muscled shoulders are much broader than Ryou's petit ones. His face is sharper and more defined; he was obviously not from Domino. His lips are full, but not enough to make him look effeminate. A t-shaped scar runs along his left cheek, making him seem rugged. Ryou particularly liked his hair; it is thick and unruly, falling lightly on his strong shoulders. Its color is silver and shoulder length and seemed as smooth as silk.

'Like spun moonlight.' Ryou muses. He glances downward at the man's chest. A creamy shirt covered it with a just a bit of skin showing to make the Ryou's imagination go on a fangirlish tangent. A blood red jacket is thrown over top (3), looking old and worn; the man had obviously had it a long time. Two black belts – one holding a gun and the other holding some rather _lethal_ looking daggers – crisscross over his chest; he was obviously ready to fight. Black pants cover his legs with heeled boots. A weird insignia was carved into the boots. He had seen it before, but where? He rattles his brain for an answer. It had to be something Egyptian…ah, yes! It was the Eye of Horus, the Egyptian god of the sky. It has a thick eyebrow and two lines running beneath the eyeball. A thick pupil rests in the center, as black as space. The eye rests inside a large triangle with another circle around it (4). All in all, the man had a feral and powerful air around him, the total opposite of Ryou.

"Hello, beautiful." The man purrs, a weird glint in his eye. Ryou flushes in response; the man's voice was so deep! The base seemed to vibrate through him (I am being so poetic right now!) and sent a shiver down his spine.

"H-hi." Ryou answers softly, so soft he didn't know if the man had heard him.

"What is someone like _you_ doing in a place _this_?" Bakura asks, gesturing to the alley around him.

"Sh-Shopping." Ryou answers, feeling stupid after he had said it. The fact that the man raised an incredulous eyebrow just afterwards didn't help.

"_Shopping_?" Ryou nods. "_Here_?" Bakura asks, totally confused.

"W-well, not _here_ exactly. I g-got lost." Ryou says looking down at his feet, the blush on his cheeks darkening.

"Ah." Bakura answers knowingly, smirking at the boy's stutter. He definitely made the boy nervous. He walks forward to within an inch of the boy.

"You are much cuter when you blush." He murmurs seductively. The boy looks up, gasping in shock when he saw their proximity. He jumps back, his back hitting a wall. Bakura smirks at his adorable reaction, liking the boy even more. Ryou felt like a mouse cornered by a cat. Or maybe a bunny caught by a fox. He gulps slightly, confused by the emotions running through him. He wasn't necessarily _scared_ of the man; it was more like apprehension running through his body. What was this guy gonna do to him?

"What's your name, beautiful?" Bakura asks, purposefully hovering over him.

"I-isn't it rude to ask someone their name before telling yours?" Ryou says, surprising himself. Since when was he this confident around people?

"Hm, I suppose it is. Well, then, my name's Bakura. Now, what's yours?"

"R-ryou."

Bakura nods, filing that info into the back of his brain. Ryou looks around, avoiding the man's eyes. His eyes land on the drunk who had tried to attack him. Oh crap! He forgot to thank the guy for saving him.

"T-thank you." Ryou says shyly. Bakura looks at the whitenette in surprise.

"For what?"

"For saving me f-from that guy." Ryou answers, motioning to the drunk.

"Oh, that. Right." A smirk spreads over Bakura's face.

"You know, little Ryou, there are other ways you can thank me." Bakura murmurs, his eyes pinning Ryou to the wall.

"L-like what?" Ryou says, suddenly afraid of the answer.

"This." Bakura purrs his hand gripping Ryou's jaw. He turns Ryou's face upward, making Ryou look him in the eye. Ryou gasps as Bakura's warm mouth press against his mouth. Ryou squeaks, his body tensing. He feels Bakura's arms wrap around his waist and pull him forward. His body relaxes in the embrace involuntarily. This kiss was much different than the one that other man had given him. It wasn't as forceful, that was for sure, and he was definitely…_enjoying_ it. He timidly places his hands on Bakura's chest, clenching the shirt in his hands. He feels Bakura's tongue brush his bottom lip, asking for entrance. Ryou timidly opens his mouth a small amount, and Bakura forces his tongue inside. Ryou squeaks again. Bakura's tongue lightly massages his own and he blushes hotly, but doesn't pull away. That felt so different but not…unpleasant. Bakura's hand travels upwards, caressing Ryou's back and, finally, his neck. Ryou feels Bakura pinch the nape of his neck lightly and gasps, his eyes snapping open. That had actually hurt…His vision blurs and he slumps forward, resting against Bakura's chest. He feels Bakura shift him slightly, supporting his falling body, before loosing consciousness.

Bakura pulls away from his little look-a-like, admiring his sleeping form. He was kind of surprised that he hadn't knocked the boy out; he was normally rough with other people. There was something about the boy in his arms; something that made Bakura want to be gentle with him. His eyes narrowly menacingly; the word 'gentle' was not supposed to be in his vocabulary. He is a ruthless pirate for Ra's sake, not some love-struck fool! He shifts Ryou in his arms and lifts him up, throwing the small boy over his shoulder. He treated all treasure this way, and the boy was definitely a treasure. There he goes again; thinking such weak, emotional thoughts. He wasn't supposed to think like that! He shakes his head angrily; he would have to delve into those thoughts later. What he needed right now was to find the way to the Dark Millenium. Thankfully, this section of town was much closer to the dock the ship was moored at, and it wouldn't take much time to get there. He walks onto the main road, ignoring the weird looks he was receiving. Their opinions didn't matter to him.

Now, which direction had he come from, again?

With Malik…

Malik looks around, admiring all the shops and people. The Domino Market was always bustling with people. Women, children, and men – either as families or by themselves – were coming from all directions. Children were getting under everyone's feet, looking in the windows of the stores in fascination at all the things they could buy. The bicycle shop was particularly popular among them; they all crowded around the window, exclaiming at the sight of the shopkeeper fixing and repairing the bikes. Suddenly, a stack of plywood comes flying towards Malik's face. He ducks just in time, thanking Ra for his good reflexes. He sends a glare over his shoulder at the large man who had almost knocked his head off. To his annoyance, the man doesn't look back or apologize.

'Jerk.' Malik thinks angrily. He walks around, looking from shop to shop. He so wanted to use the money to buy his own things, but Anzu would have his head if he did. One store catches his eye; it was the store he needed! The list that Anzu had given him was all of jewelry, and he knew jewelry pretty well (because he's always wearing it!). H steps into the shop, a little bell tinkling as he does. He looks around, admiring all the stands. What he wouldn't give to have one of those…maybe he could with a little discount…He shouldn't think that way! He had made a promise to Sogoroku that he would never steal again, even if he couldn't get it any other way. Even if the oldest Motou was dead, he was determined to keep his promise (5). Besides, he could just imagine Yugi and Ryou's reactions. Seeing their disappointment would make him feel like he had kicked a puppy! And he really liked dogs...

He pulls the list out of his pocket, running his eyes over the names. He looks around, trying to find the necklaces he needed. Ah, there they were! He rushes over and grabs the necklaces he needed. He goes to the counter and pays for them, having just enough to for them. He thanks the cashier and exits the store, the commotion watching over him refreshingly. He steps into the throng, letting himself become lost in the current. Suddenly, the bags in his hands are ripped away from him. He spins around just in time to see a scrawny boy making away with his bags.

"Stop, you little punk!" He cries, running after him. He pushes people out of the way, trying not to lose him in the crowd. Both he and the boy were going against the current of the crowd, and there was a LOT of people coming in that direction. He pushes a rotund woman out of his way, knocking the birdcage she was holding out of her hand. It crashes to the ground, bending the bars and leaving the door a jar. She screams in surprise and outrage as she also falls to the ground. The trapped bird pushes the door open with its beak, flying free. A nearby storeowner rushes forward to help the woman up, who was having trouble getting back on her feet.

"My Lady, are you okay?" he asks, placing his hand on her back to help. She swats him away angrily.

"I can get up just fine, thank you!" she yells, pushing her body forward, using the man as support despite what she said. Malik watches this scene in amazement, his mouth falling to the floor. The bird, a parrot with a green plumage and long tail feathers streaming behind it tipped in red orange and yellow and a sharp, lethal-looking beak, swirls once around Malik's head, landing finally on his shoulder

"Patsy, get back here!" the woman yells, lunging at Malik. He dodges, the bird flying off his shoulder.

"Patsy doesn't like old lady, rawk!" the bird answers, flying over their head. The woman's face turns red in anger.

"Patsy, you get down here, right now!" she yells.

"Patsy, you get down here, right now!" the parrot repeats, sounding just like the woman.

"Pasty, stop it!"

"Patsy, stop it!" Malik places a hand in front of his mouth, trying and failing to stop himself from laughing. Finally, he couldn't help it. He doubles over, laughter spilling out from him. The woman whirls around, glaring at Malik. He stops mid-laugh.

"YOU! This is all _your_ fault!" she screams, swinging her purse at him. Malik ducks, stumbling back.

"You crazy woman, what did _I _do?!" he says.

"It's your fault Patsy got out and its your fault she won't come back!"

"W-what?! Did you ever think Patsy just doesn't like you? She said it herself!"

"There's no way my Patsy doesn't like me! I take good care of her!"

"Patsy is no girl, rawk!" Patsy cries from above. They look up to see Patsy perched on the eave of the shop the woman had come out of. Not surprisingly, it was a pet shop.

"No wonder Patsy doesn't like you! You gave him a girl's name!" Malik yells at her.

"Shut up, you little hooligan! GUARDS! Arrest him!" she screams, pointing at Malik accusingly.

"WHAT!?" Malik exclaims. A group of men in navy uniforms rush to the scene. Malik's eyes widen at them; there had to be at least twelve men there. There was no _way _he could take on all of them. Besides, assaulting a naval officer was punishable by six months in prison. He figured he would pass, thank you! He spins on his heel, running back into the crowd. He hears a screech from above, looking up to see Patsy circling overhead.

"Patsy, come back!" the woman screams, her voice fading as he made his way through the crowd. This sucks! Not only had he lost that little thief, he had guards on his tail! Patsy circles down to his level, landing on his shoulder and grabbing on with his talons.

"Get a_way_, you stupid bird! It's your fault I'm in this mess!" Malik yells, swatting at the offending creature.

"Rawk! New master is mean, rawk!"

"I'm not your new master, you demented rat with wings!" he screams, running faster, hearing the cries of indignation of the people behind him as the guards push them out of the way. He glances over his shoulder, trying to see where the guards are.

'They're gaining ground!' he thinks frantically. He looks around for someplace to hide and catch his breath. He couldn't go on forever, you know. He feels Patsy let go, his wings beating against he ear.

"Hey!" he cries. That stupid bird has mussed his hair! It had taken him a whole _hour_ this morning to get it perfect! A narrow alley between two shops catches his eye. He picks up his pace instinctively, seeing how close he was to the alley. Just a little faster…He rushes in, pressing himself up against the wall. He places his hand on his heart. He could feel it beating against his chest rapidly. The guards come close to the alley, stopping in front of it. He scrunches back against the wall, holding his breath. They look around for a few agonizing seconds before running past. Malik releases his breath and slumps against the wall. He lays his head back against the brick, closing his eyes in relief. Suddenly, he hears someone laugh deeply nearby, startling him. He spins around and gasps. The owner of the laugh was not what he had expected.

The laugher, who was very _obviously_ male, stands at about five feet, eleven inches tall. His hair is the same sandy blonde as Malik's, just in a different style; Malik's laid flat against his back, whereas this guy's definitely did not. His hair shoots from his scalp in gravity-defying spikes that fan out around his head. Small strand of hair rest lightly on the back of his powerful neck. Long bangs fall into his eyes, shrouding them in a slight shadow.

And, by Ra, those _eyes_!

They are a dark violet and seem even darker because of the shadow cast over them. A sort of childish glee shines in them, giving them some light, but not much. They are narrow and almond-shaped, showing he was probably not from Domino. Most likely, he was Egyptian. Two thick lines of kohl had been drawn beneath his eyes. They run down and curve around his high cheekbones. An insane smile played on his full lips, revealing a white fang. His chin is strong and defined as well. Malik's eyes run over the man's muscled shoulders, and down to his chest. The plum colored shirt was hiding what Malik could potentially see of his chest, except for a small section in the front. The sleeves seemed to have been ripped off, the ends frayed a bit. Long muscled arms protrude from the sleeves with a golden bracelet covering his left bicep. It is in the shape of a ball with a giant, thick-lidded eye in the center. The band circles around the muscle, meeting at the sides of the ball. Two outspread wings come from the side, making it seem like the ball could fly away at any second (6). Black pants cover his legs, hugging them in all the right places. These pants are tucked into black leather, heeled boots. The whole look made the man seem pretty sinister.

"Who…who are you?" Malik says warily. He did not like the feelings he felt towards the man; he had never been attracted to someone – especially a stranger – so quickly.

"I am Mariku (7). Who are you, kitten?" the man purrs walking towards Malik.

"St-stay where you are! A-and don't call me kitten!" Malik yelps, backing away. Marik smirks at his pretty little look-a-like's reaction. The blonde was trying to seem tough, but he was _so _obviously nervous around him it was cute. He walks forward, laughing mentally as the blonde backs up.

"Come on, kitten! I don't bite." Marik smiles insanely. "_Much_." He adds, enjoying the freaked out expression on the blonde's face. His beautiful eyes had widened in surprise, his pretty mouth gaping open. He could even see the boy's pretty pink tongue, just begging to be played with (8). In fact, _everything_ about this boy is pretty! His hair falls gently down on his shoulder like a waterfall of sand, framing his face gently. His eyes – which had been filled with such fire before – are a beautiful mix between lilac and lavender. Surprise dances in those depths, along with barely concealed attraction and nervousness, making him look like a cornered lion. Marik would definitely have fun bringing that attraction to the surface. He had a feeling that being with the boy would be rather wild. A tight, light-purple shirt covers his chest; its proximity against the boy's skin made it so that if the blonde arched his back just a little, his caramel stomach would be exposed. Tight black pants cover the boy's legs, ending in black boots. Mariku places his hands on either side of the boy's head, making him scrunch back against the wall.

"St-stay away from me, you freak!" The boy yells shakily, his eyes darting from Mariku's face to his hands. Marik smirks; the boy was a brave one alright. That wasn't the first time someone had called him a freak, but the only ones who had that were still alive are his friends and this boy.

"But what if I don't want to, kitten?" Marik murmurs, tracing his finger along the boy's pink lips. The boy snaps at his finger, glaring up at him defiantly.

"Too bad. Didn't I tell you not to call me 'kitten'?"

"Well, what would you like me to call you?"

"_Malik_ would be nice."

"Hm, nice name, Malik-kun." The boy rolls his eyes at the honorific, but lets it slide. That was not his main problem; his main problem was getting away from this insane man and his eyes.

"You're very pretty." Marik says out of the blue. Malik blushes immediately.

"Um, thank you?" he says uncertainly. What was this guy trying to pull? Flattering him would _not _help him with what he was trying to do. Whatever _that_ was.

"So pretty," he says, "that I think I just might have to take you with me."

"Okay." Malik's brain finally processes those words, and his eyes widen.

"WHAT?!" He yelps in surprise. Marik smirks and scoops the blonde up, throwing him over his shoulder carelessly.

"H-hey! Put me down!" Malik yells, banging his fist against the Marik's back. His protests fall on deaf ears. Marik shifts Malik suddenly, his shoulder jutting painfully into Malik's stomach.

"Hey, watch it you jerk!" Malik cries. He twists his body around and glares at the back of Marik's head, crossing his arms and huffing angrily. How dare this idiot kidnap him like this?! He glances around as they walked. Where are all the people? Didn't _anyone _see this guy carrying him like he was a sack of potatoes?!

With Aiko…

Aiko sighs and looks for the hundredth time around this bar she had wondered into. Normally, bars really weren't her style – she had never drank any alcohol before – but she was bored, and she had had a while before she had to go back to the fort. She enjoyed being out in the city. Grandpa (9) hadn't let any of them out of the fort much, especially when they were children. Her eyes darken at the thought of the sweet old man. He had been the only father she had ever had. She gently kicks her bags under the table sadly. Anzu would have to deal with it if her things weren't in mint condition.

"Excuse me, Miss?" a voice asks gently. She looks up from her glass in surprise. In front of her is a young boy – at least, he _looks_ like a boy. He only came to about three inches above the table, but his face seemed much older than a young boy's would. He looks at her with expectant almond-shaped, green eyes, waiting for her order. He pushes his fire-red hair back impatiently, revealing his ears. Her eyes stick to the ears immediately. They are long – about three inches, to be exact – they pull together into a sharp point at the end. Basically, this guy looks like an elf. He sighs softly.

"Ma'am, could you please quit staring? It's kinda rude." Aiko's eye widen.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I couldn't help it; your ears are so _cute_." She explains sheepishly. The boy looks at her in surprise. When he realizes she was sincere, a bright red blush spreads across his freckled cheeks, standing out against his pale skin.

"Th-thank you. Is-is there anything you need?" he says, obviously fighting down the blush. Aiko giggles softly (10).

"More water would be nice, thank you, um, what's your name?"

"It's Jaerkin (Jay-er-kin), ma'am." Aiko smiles warmly.

"Thank you, Jaerkin." She hands him the glass. He takes it from her, nodding politely. He turns around, leaving her alone again.

"Hello." A deep voice says near ear, warm breath washing over her neck. She turns in surprise, squeaking when she realizes that a man's face was less than an inch away from her face.

"H-hello." She stammers, her face turning red.

"May, I sit there?" he asks motioning towards the seat next to her.

"S-sure." She says in a small voice. He smiles and walks around the table, taking the opposite seat. She releases a breath she didn't know she had been holding, glad about their lack of proximity. She had _never_ been that close to a member of the opposite sex before, besides her friends and Grandpa, but they were family. She glances over at him out of the corner of her eyes, watching him look at a menu and admiring the way the light illuminated his eyes. It made his dark, smoky-gray orbs light up, giving him a gentler look. Black strands fall into his hypnotic eyes, caressing his forehead lightly. The rest of his hair is pulled back in a thick braid with a lanyard adorned with beads intertwined in the strands and falling on his strong back. A cream colored shirt covers his chest and strong shoulders. A small triangular section rests just near his neck, the two ends of the drawstring hanging loosely down. The string was lax, revealing a small section of his chest. His olive skin is smooth, without a scratch. Aiko looks away, realizing she had been staring too long. Aiko places her hands in her lap, forcing her eyes away from him and fumbling with the fabric of her dress.

A pretty, _buxom_ waitress comes up soon after, smiling sweetly at him.

Aiko looks up to receive the waitress, but her eyes were only for the man next to her. Her dress is lower-cut, showing off her curves. She leans forward ever so slightly, giving him a perfect view of her bosom. To Aiko's surprise, his eyes don't even glance down at the waitress's chest. He looks the waitress in the eye the whole time while she is taking his order, giving her a smile that Aiko could tell was fake. The waitress bats her eyelashes in what she thought was a sweet way and walks away, her hips swaying unnaturally. Aiko had been able to catch the frown lines in her forehead just before she left.

'Well that was weird.' Aiko think in surprise. Any other man would have been just barely able to keep himself from openly ogling her. His sense of self-control made her like him even more. Suddenly, her eyes lock with a pair of gray orbs. She blushes when she realizes she had been staring again. She averts her gaze to her lap shyly. Great! Now, he would think she was a _stalker_ or something!

Matsuo smirks at the girl's reaction. The genuine attraction he had seen in her innocent eyes had been much more interesting than the obvious want in that waitress's eyes. He had been eyeing her from the moment he had slipped into this little bar; he had already mapped out the south end of Domino and had come to the bar for some relaxation. What he had found, though, was _much _more interesting. It had taken him a few minutes to get the courage to come up to her and even longer when that waiter had come up to her. He smirks at the idea of him, a fearsome pirate, being too nervous to talk to a girl who had turned out to be so shy. Admittedly, though, she was _very _pretty. He looks appreciatively at her face; he could see only part of it, but he had seen enough of it before to know. Her eyes are a dark, forest green and openly showed her emotions. In his profession, that was a trait that could mean death. He watches as the light dances along the waves of her chestnut hair. It falls lightly on her petite shoulders, falling forward and covering her eyes.

"What's your name?" Matsuo asks on impulse. He wanted to see her eyes again. She looks up in surprise, her mouth slightly ajar.

"Um, it's A-aiko." She says softly, pushing strands of her hair behind her ear shyly.

"What a pretty name." He answers, relishing in the blush that spreads across her cheeks. His gaze moves down to her full mouth. He had never seen prettier lips before…

"Th-thank you. What's yours?" she murmurs, looking up at him expectantly. His gaze snaps back to her eyes and he smirks, despite the nervousness he felt. He couldn't give his real name – it was too well known. He had to think up a nickname…

"It's Mat." He answers finally. She smiles gently, fidgeting with the choker around her neck. His gaze drops to the jewelry in interest. The ribbon is a light teal with an ivory stone in the center. A thornless rose is carved into the stone; the craftsman had obviously been a professional. The ribbon is trimmed in off-white lace. His gaze travels down her slim neck, down to her dress. The top comes up to just blow her neck, the lace fanning out daintily around it. White buttons run from the top of her dress all the way down to just below her bust line, drawing the eggshell-white fabric in. Sleeves of the same color cover her slim arms. She was the first woman that he had seen in a long time that did not flaunt what she quite _obviously_ had. There was no denying that the young woman was well endowed, but she didn't show it off to everyone, like that waitress.

"So, what's someone like you doing in a bar?" he asks nonchalantly.

"Well, I-" before she could finish answering, a red head pops up.

"Here's your water, Miss." The waiter says, smiling shyly at her. Feeling the heated glare on his head, the waiter turns, noticing the man sitting next to Aiko.

"Sorry for interrupting." He says sheepishly. Aiko smiles warmly, drawing both men's attention.

"It's alright, Jaerkin. Thank you for the water." He smiles happily at her answer.

"Your very welcome, ma'am!" he walks, away beaming brightly.

"As I was saying-" Aiko is cut off again as the young waitress returns placing a glass of water in front of him as well.

"Here you are, sir" she purrs. He nods, still a little miffed.

"Thank you." He says flatly. She looks disappointed and walks away in a huff.

"Anyway, what I was _trying _to say was, I wanted to see what a bar was like."

"Really? And what is it like?"

"Smelly, hot and smoky." She answers, scrunching her nose in disgust. He laughs heartily at her answer; that had had to be the cutest expression he had ever seen.

Aiko smiles happily; she had made him laugh! She looks up at the wall on the other side of the bar, unconsciously checking the time. Her eyes widen in surprise.

"Oh no!" she says in surprise, standing up abruptly. She sees Mat's eyes widen in surprise and standing as well.

"What's wrong?" he says. Wait, was that _worry _in his voice? Nevermind; she didn't have time to worry about that.

"My friends are expecting me by back home in ten minutes. I have to hurry before Ryou and Yugi freak out." She says, saying the last part more to herself. He stands up, pushing in his chair.

"Here, let me walk you home; there are some bad people out there at this time of night, and it wouldn't be good for a girl to be out alone." He says, forgetting to mention the fact that he was one of those people. Aiko smiles gratefully at his suggestion, reaching down and picking up her bags from under the table. He pushes in her seat politely. She places a few bills on the counter, enough for their drinks and a tip. He leads her towards the door, opening it finally for her when they reach it. She murmurs a shy 'thank you', ducking under his arms and out the door. Matsuo closes door gently, walking calmly alongside her. They walk in silence for awhile, him letting her take the lead. The only sound is the light clicking of her white, lace-up boots on the cobblestones. His shoes make no sound at all; he had learned to walk so they wouldn't.

"So, where do you live?" he asks, breaking the silence. Aiko muses over the question; should she answer correctly, or not? It was bad to tell strangers where you live, but she felt like she could trust the guy. And besides, she lived in a _military_ fort; it is the safest place in the entire city. It has the most advanced security system in town.

"In the military fort just south of here." She answers, making up her mind.

"Hm. That's nice." Suddenly, the sky erupts in a bright light. They both look up, stopping in surprise.

"I didn't know that Domino was shooting off fireworks today…" she murmurs.

"They're not." Matsuo says, smirking slightly. He knew that signal; someone, most likely Yami, had sent off a flare, telling him he needed to get to the ship and _fast_.

"Follow me." He says, grabbing her arm.

"B-but the fort's that way!" she yells, pointing to the other direction. As she points, her bags fly off, landing loudly on the floor. Matsuo doesn't answer, just pulls her along. They rush down the main road, jutting into the side streets.

"Wait, Mat!" She yells, tugging on his sleeve. He stops abruptly, making her fall into him. He wraps his arms around her waist to steady her. She blushes when their bodies mold against each other.

"Yes?"

"Wh-where are we going?" she says timidly.

"To my ship."

"Sh-ship?"

"Yes, _ship_. Sorry, but I have to take you with me."

"T-take me with you? Wh-why?"

"Because you've seen me. Oh, and my name's not Mat."

"Wh-what? It's not?" Aiko's face contorts in confusion.

"Nope. Goodnight." He says softly. He whips something out of his pocket. Before Aiko could see what it was, she feels a sharp pain in her neck. She gasps in surprise, her vision getting blurry. Her eyes flutter closed and her goes limp against Matsuo. He catches her, scooping her up bridal style. He looks at the piece of metal in his hand. It was crafted into a small, metal dart with a skinny shaft and a round, bulbous top. The tip is razor sharp, and there are three fins coming off the side. Seto had made it that way, saying it would be better 'aerodynamically.' Personally, he didn't know about nor did he care about aerodynamics. That was Seto's job. He scoops her up bridal style, sticking it back into his pocket (11). She was definitely lightweight. He walks quickly towards the south; the flare had been released for a reason, and it was probably bad. He shifts so she would be more comfortable in his arms. He glances down, admiring her sleeping face. Despite the fact that kidnapping her was illegal, he was totally glad he had. If he had his way, she would be his very soon.

NOT PART OF THE STORY:

No.1: This phrase means basically means that, although he does like girls, he like guys better.

No.2: I actually like this name, but I couldn't think of any other name, so I gave to her.

No.3: I'm kinda basing Bakura off of Akefia from the Memory arc, and I'm pretty sure he had a red jacket in it, which is where this came from.

No.4: Basically, this insignia is kinda like the Millenium Ring, just on his boot. I am going to put the Millenium Puzzle for Yami in here somewhere, I just don't know where.

No.5: I guess you could say that I wanted Malik to be like a recovering kleptomaniac, because he had to steal to survive when he was younger.

No.6: It's he has the Millenium Rod without the stick for his bracelet. I think it's pretty cool, and I wanted to have it in there somewhere.

No.7: I'll explain the difference between saying Mariku and Marik in the next chapter.

No.8: I have to admit, I blushed when I first typed this. I am definitely making Marik a little perverse, and I wanted to put something in there that would foreshadow that. This was the first thing that popped into my head! XD

No.9: Yugi's grandpa had taken Aiko in when she was a baby, and him and her friends are the only real family she's ever had, so she can call him 'grandpa.'

No.10: Yes, she is basically flirting with the dude, but she isn't doing this on purpose.

No.11: I wanted them to be like tranquilizer darts, so he would have a reason to carry them around. He uses them when he doesn't want to fight, basically.


	6. Chapter 6: Waking Up Away From Home

Soooo Sorry for the wait! Please don't be angry with me! I promise the next chappie will come sooner than this one did…no flames, please, or I will use it as firewood. Thank you for your patience! So, on with the story! (I can only hope that this chapter isn't as disappointing for you guys as it is for me.)

Warning: Slight lime!

Don't think I said this earlier, but the disclaimer is in my profile!

Chapter 6: Waking up Away From Home

Yami stares down over the railing of his ship, watching as the cold waters of Domino lap against the hull of the Dark Millenium (1). On the outside, he looked calm and cool. On the inside, he was being torn apart by worry. He had set off that flare a half-hour ago, and the only ones to return were Seto, Bakura, and Marik. The longer they stayed, the less time they had to get out of here before the Navy came after them. They knew that at least he was here, and where he was they knew his most trusted pirates were sure to follow. That was not good for them at all. Especially if _she_ knew they were there. Her father, that annoying captain, was the most vigorous of those trying to find them. If she came and found them, the captain was sure to follow with weapons drawn. In this business, stealth was vital. You needed to the element of surprise to catch your victim off guard. Just sitting here waiting for Matsuo to return was like plastering 'Come catch me!' on their foreheads. And besides, the Code (2) stated that Matsuo had about five more minutes to return before he had to leave. Oh, Pegasus was _not_ going to be happy about this…

Contrary to popular belief, Yami was not the mastermind behind the success of the Dark Millenium crew. The real leader's name is Maximillion Pegasus, a wealthy, eccentric businessman with connections that weren't always on the right side of the law. Don't get him wrong; he wasn't afraid of Pegasus – he could easily take him in a fight – but he was also conscious of his need to keep on his employer's good side until the time was right. It was Pegasus who first found and employed Yami's ragtag band of men and got them on their feet. None of them had really any interest in professions on the good side of the law, and this was the perfect chance for them to make good money, as well as feed their adventurous spirits. Mokuba's presence was unfortunate; he was not old enough to truly decide whether or not he wanted to be a criminal, but the lack of caretakers forced Seto to bring him along. Pegasus had provided them with a ship and a crew, which Yami was sure had been bugged. It was rather high-tech – something very easily attainable for Pegasus – equipped with communication devices in most of the main storage rooms and his cabin. Somehow, Pegasus was finding out their progress without Yami relaying it to him. Pegasus, the god-awful prick, flaunted his intimate knowledge of his crew's dealings, and rubbed it in Yami's face that the captain couldn't find the rat. He had an idea, but he couldn't do anything without actual evidence. He may be a pirate, but he was at least fair. Although, his victims probably couldn't profess to that…

Anyway, recently the man had contracted him and his 'generals' – if you could call them that – to find something specific, some sort of puzzle that held some mystical power that Yami really had no interest in. The only thing that he liked about the trinket was that it was made of pure gold. There was some ancient Egyptian past behind it that he had no interest in – something about a pharaoh – but he could tell it would sell well, and he planned on using that to his own advantage. Unfortunately, thoughts of Yugi were dominating his mind, which should be thinking about his quest and the prize at the end of it. Normally, it wouldn't worry him – lots of things had dominated his mind before – but one person who he knew just about nothing about had never done that so quickly. He had not known his little look-a-like for even a full twenty-four hours, and yet he felt wholly infatuated with him. Maybe it was the boy's innocence, or maybe just his sheer beauty, but Yugi had captivated him, which is something no self-respecting or ambitious pirate could be if they wanted to survive in this business. He could feel himself falling quickly – _too_ quickly – for little Yugi, and, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop it. He couldn't help but think of what he could – and would – _do_ to the innocent boy…

"Yami." A stern voice says behind him, startling him out of his reverie. He turns partially to see his first mate behind him. Seto walks to stand next to his captain, leaning against the railing.

"What should we do about them?" Seto murmurs, completely skipping all formalities and going straight to the point. He knew exactly what Seto was talking about. 'Them' refers to the extra baggage – in the form of four teens – that he and the others had carried on board. When they had returned, all of them had been carrying another male. He had already stashed Yugi in his room when the others arrived, and had instructed them to do the same. Seto had been carrying a lanky blonde in his arms and the look on the brunette's face showed that he did _not_ want to talk about it. Bakura and Marik had two boys throw over their shoulders. They, however, were sporting cheshire-cat grins; something Yami knew was not good for anyone when they did. When they had stowed the smaller males away, all of them disappeared and he was forced to worry about Matsuo alone. Suddenly, a pale hand disrupts his vision, bringing him back to reality. He looks over to the other pirate.

"Yes?" he says coolly, trying to make it seem as if he hadn't just gone off into his own little world and completely ignored him.

"Do agree with my idea?"

"I normally do. What was it again?" the brunette sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

"I should've known you weren't listening." He mutters. Yami could only smirk.

"Seto, you have time later to be disappointed. Tell me your idea."

"I said that we should keep them. You, put them to work on the Millenium." Yami nods, watching Seto closely. He could've _sworn _that he saw amusement in those azure orbs. Maybe the lights were playing tricks on him…

"Captain, Matsuo's returned!" a nearby pirate exclaims. Both captain and first mate share a look and move to join the crown congregating on the other edge. His crewmembers quickly move out of his way, allowing him the spot in the front. Matsuo stands on the ground below, a cheeky smirk on his face. Yami glares at him.

"Well, well, well, look who decided to show up. Have a good time exploring the whole freakin' city?" He says in a falsely casual nature, although his flaming eyes gave him away. The pirates around him back away shrewdly, even Seto. No one wanted to be on the other end of Yami's anger.

"Well, as you can see, I had other business to attend to." Matsuo answers calmly, motioning to the effeminate bundle in his arms. Yami snorts.

"I don't care if you had been summoned by the Queen herself! That flare meant 'be here _now'_, not enjoy the freakin' scenery! There are guards everywhere; our presence is known. You could have gotten caught you idiot!" Yami shouts, his composure decreasing with every passing second. Matsuo nods gravely, although smiling inwardly. He knew Yami was actually worried about him and the safety of the crew, although he dared not show it. Yami sees his crewmember's affirmative nod and motions to a nearby human to open the door (3). He scurries away and down the hatch, not wanting to anger the captain anymore than necessary. A few seconds later, the door falls open and slams against the dock, making it splinter and crack. Matsuo boards it quickly, not wanting to be on the dock if it collapsed, but also because of the unnerving fact that they had been spotted. Best not risk getting caught because of his delay. It was hard climbing the ladder with Aiko in his arms, but the task was accomplished. When he emerges from the hatch, he approaches Yami to ask him where to put the young woman. Yami points towards his room silently. Matsuo nods and sets off towards the room. He opens the door next to the cabin door and descends down a long hallway. To his right is a wooden door. He opens it and steps in quietly. To his surprise, four males had been placed in different places around Yami's room. There was Yami look-a-like on his bed, a white-haired boy in the large desk chair, a blonde curled up on the floor (bet you can guess who this is!), and another blonde placed precariously on a couch in the corner. He raises an eyebrow, but decides to talk to Yami about it later. He gently places Aiko on the bed. She stirs, emitting a soft moan. He smiles, reaching forward and brushing her bangs out of her face. His eyes widen and he pulls away. What was he doing? He just thought she was cute, nothing more. In a way that completely contradicted his previous thought, he grabs a pair of pants and a shirt from the nearby drawer as well as a pair of boots for her to where instead of the heeled ones she was wearing now. Yami was about her size, and he was sure she didn't want to be walking around the ship in a dress. He places them next to the bed, on the floor. He slips out of the room, a troubled expression on his face at the new emotions rising up in him. He walks down the hallway and out onto the deck. Yami was over near the wheel. The young captain notices his return and turns to the crew.

"All right, let's get her out of here as fast as possible." He commands. The pirates grumble, but move to do their duties, their sense of self-preservation kicking in. None of them would survive an arrest by the Navy's men. Yami smirks and looks towards the cabin. It was going to be interesting explaining to them why the raid was canceled. Now all they had to do was wait for their prizes to wake up…

Time skip…

_"Hmm, kitten." A deep voice purrs near Malik's ear, sending shivers down his spine. He knew that voice from somewhere, but he couldn't quite place it. The vibrations that flew through him – which felt _wonderful_, by the way – were certainly familiar. The mouth that housed that voice latches onto his throat, sucking lightly, making him bite his lips to suppress a whimper of delight. Instead he changes it into a warning growl. Suddenly, it pulls away, and he couldn't stop his whimper of disappointment. He gasps as he feels something run along his throat, leaving a wet trail in its wake. The man (the voice was too deep to be a woman's) chuckles seductively, moving his tongue to trace the shell of Malik's ear. Meanwhile, nimble fingers trace the muscles of his stomach, moving lower, ever lower. He gulps, knowing exactly where this was going…_

Something shakes him roughly awake, and he flops painfully onto his stomach, his face becoming uncomfortably intimate with the hard floor. He groans in pain and rolls over onto his back.

"Heh, sorry dude." A familiar voice says. He looks up to see Jou standing over him. He glares at his fellow blonde, earning a sheepish grin in return. A tanned hand appears in front of him and he accepts it. Jou hauls Malik to his feet. Malik looks around in surprise at the fact that the others were also here.

"You go wake up Aiko and Yug'. I'll wake Ry up." Jou murmurs, moving toward the white-haired male in a nearby chair. He seemed to be whimpering in his sleep. It didn't seem to be in fear; in fact, it seemed to be a longing whimper. Wait; was there a _blush_ on Ryou's face? He shakes his head and walks over to the small boy, shaking his shoulder gently. Mocha eyes flutter open. Ryou looks up at him, blinking sleep wearily away.

"Jou?" Ryou says in confusion. He looks around and sits up abruptly in alarm. "Where are we?" he asks fearfully. This room was so unfamiliar; he was sure he had never been in it before. A heavy hand falls on his shoulder.

"It's alright, Ry." Ryou could only nod and send him a nervous smile in return for Jou's reassuring one. It would be all right as long as the others were there. Jou turns to see how Malik was progressing. So far, only Yugi – who seemed to be rubbing his head in pain and pouting cutely – was awake. The little boy was trying desperately to get the only female to wake up, and Malik was watching on the sidelines. Yugi blows some of his bangs out of his face in frustration.

"Could you do something, Malik?" he sighs. Malik smiles deviously. Yugi looks over to his other friends, who could only smile reassuringly at him. Malik walks over to Aiko and bends over her ear, sending a smirk to the others. He takes a deep breath and…

"WAKE UP, AIKO!" he yells into her ear.

"GAH!" she cries, snapping up and banging her head straight into Malik's. She sits up in and clutches her head.

"Oh, my _head_." She moans in pain. She looks around the room, noticing Malik standing there holding his own head. Normally, she would have started yelling at the blonde, but her head hurt too much for her to care. She looks around her in surprise.

"Where…where are we?" she asks in surprise and slight fear. Yugi helps her up using her elbow.

"That's what we're trying to find out, actually." Jou mutters, running his fingers through his sandy hair. Ryou sighs softly. What could have happened to get them here? He barely remembered the night before. The extent of his memory stopped at when Anzu had decided she wanted them to help her shop. Then, there was nothing.

Aiko rubs her hand against her throbbing neck and freezes when she felt a small puncture where her neck met her shoulder. She gulps slightly.

"Hey, Jou, what does this look like to you?" she cranes her neck to give him a better view.

"Whoa, that doesn't look too good Aiko."

"Really?"

"Hai, go look at it." Jou points to a full-body mirror opposite the bed. She obliges and leans forward to examine her neck as best she could.

"I wonder who – or what, for that matter – could have done this…" Aiko murmurs.

"You mean you don't know?" Ryou asks. Aiko sighs softly and nods, running her fingers absentmindedly over the puncture. She sighs again and walks to the bed, plopping down on it. Yugi follow suit, and Malik, Ryou, and Jou sit in a semi-circle in front of the bed. A pensive passes over their faces as they try to remember what had happened the night before.

Yugi sighs, his bangs fluttering and falling gently on his forehead. Suddenly, a pair of blood red eyes enters his mind. Wait, red eyes…He stiffens as everything comes rushing back to him. His cheeks turn a bright pink as he remembers exactly _who_ owned those piercing eyes. A deep voice filters through his mind, making Yugi suppress a shiver that ran down his spine.

"You guys…I think I know where we are…" he mutters slowly.

"What?!" they answer. Yugi ignores their outburst and runs over to a nearby window. He looks out, the sight before him confirming his thoughts. He turns to his friends with wide eyes. Malik runs up to him.

"Where are we, Yugi?! Tell me!" Malik says, shaking the small boy.

"We…we're on the Dark Millennium." His grave words hang in the air like a storm cloud. The others stare at him with surprise etched into their features. Their eyes widen as well as everything comes rushing back to them, too. To Yugi's surprise, all of his friends had blushes on their faces as well.

Malik's face twists into an unbecoming scowl as he finally places who the man was who had him so flustered in his dream. Honestly, he was happy that he was on the ship. Don't get him wrong; he would_ love_ to go back to Domino. But he also wanted to be here to smack that stupid smirk off Mariku's face for kidnapping him. He wasn't even going to try to fathom the other reason he really wanted to see him…

Ryou gently places his fingers on his tingling lips, remembering the searing kiss that Bakura had stolen from him. It hadn't been his first, but it was the first one he had actually wanted. One thought flutters through his mind that destroyed the happy feeling that had bubbled up inside him: had Bakura kissed him because he wanted to, or was it because he wanted to distract him well enough to kidnap him? He hoped it was the former, or possibly both. That would make it seem like Bakura wanted to kiss and be around him, right? The shy boy gently nibbles his bottom lip nervously; he seemed to do that whenever he was nervous.

Jou glowers at the far wall, the semblance of a pout on his lips. He was forcefully trying to suppress the blush that had spread over his cheeks, and it wasn't working so far. He did not like the fact that remembering Seto made him blush. That jerk had not only knocked him out quite violently, but he had the nerve to kidnap him and bring him on this stupid ship! Oh he couldn't wait to get his hands on him…he crosses his arms over his chest, the pout becoming more profound. No he was _not_ sulking, thank you very much! He liked to call it brooding. It sounded _so_ much more dignified, and he wasn't anything without his dignity or his pride.

Aiko runs her fingers over the puncture for the hundredth time. She just could not get over how it felt or how she had gotten it. At least she knew that Mat had done it and not some freak off the street. Well, now that she thought about it, Mat – could she really call him Mat? – could be one, too. And he had seemed like such a gentleman, too…Well, of he was a freak, then he was the cutest freak she had ever met. Not that she met many of them, mind you. Unless you counted her friends…She giggles at her own joke, drawing confused looks from said friends. She blushes again, this time from looking like an idiot. Kami, why did she want to see Mat again so badly? He had kidnapped her and taken her to some strange place away from her home, and yet she could only really focus on seeing him again, looking his smoky gray eyes again. She lays her hand in her hands. Why must emotions be so confusing?

"Um, are you guys alright?" Yugi asks uncertainly. Aiko and Ryou looked troubled, and Jou and Malik looked ready to kill something.

Before any of them could answer, a loud knock sounds from behind the door, startling them. Yugi spins around and looks fearfully at the door. He glances back at his friends nervously. The doorknob jiggles furiously as the person behind the door tries to open, only to find that it was locked. The person utters a string of incoherent curses and bangs something, what they hoped was their fist, against the oaken door again.

"A'ight, open the door this instant or I'll open it m'self!" a booming voice calls from behind the door.

"Jou, you open it!" Malik hisses, pushing Jou's shoulder lightly towards the door. Apparently, the blonde wasn't having any of that, because he didn't budge in the slightest.

"I opened the door last time (see chapter 2); you do it!" he hisses back, pulling the unwilling blonde towards the door. Malik tries to pull back, but the other three immediately push him towards the door that was practically convulsing under its attacker's crushing blows.

Malik walks dejectedly towards the door, sending a glare over his shoulder at his friends, earning only sheepish smiles in return.

"Some friends they are…throwing me to the wolves like that…I hope their happy." He grumbles under his breath.

"A'ight, you humans, I'm comin' – oh, there you are." The voice says as Malik flings the door open. The teens inside stare at the owner of the voice in shock and fear. A large, bulky man stands in front of Malik, towering over the blonde. The man pushes past the shocked Egyptian into the room. He couldn't help but smirk at the looks of fear on their faces. Most humans looked that way when they saw him; they seemed to be made of weaker stuff than him. These humans were very pretty, each in their own way; it seemed that only Matsuo had a taste in the opposite sex. Three of them, though, look like sweeter, more innocent version of three of the leading pirates. Well, Yami, Marik, and Bakura had always been a little narcissistic…

"Who…who are you?" Jou asks warily, trying to keep his voice from wavering.

The large man smirks at his question.

"I am Unga, the cook on this 'ere ship. I was sent here to put ya ta work, Captain's orders."

"Work?" Ryou says, tilting his head to the side cutely.

"As in 'manual labor?'" Malik says, holding up his pointer and middle fingers on both hands and scrunching them in a way that is most fondly deemed 'bunny ears,' with not a small amount of disgust. He did _not _do manual labor.

" O'course." Unga chuckles at their shocked faces. Jou just rolls his eyes. He should have expected this. Only Seto would derive some sort of sick pleasure out of putting them to work.

"If you'll folla me, we'll find out what ya c'n do on tha ship." The teens file resignedly out as Unga steps aside for them to pass. The males make it passed him, but he puts his arm out to stop Aiko before she could get very far.

"Sorry miss, but you should go change." He says, his tone suddenly serious.

"Why?"

"Well, the men on this ship have been stuck here for months on end witout any stops to the shore and only one woman who would kill them if they even t'ought of going after her. There a li'l…_restless _if ya catch ma drift." Her eyes widen. They wouldn't really do what he was implying, would they? Well, they _were _criminals, after all. She nods numbly and walks back into the room.

"We'll be waitin' fer ya outside." He says, with slight embarrassment. The door closes softly soon after. She walks over and locks the door for some piece of mind. Who knew what could be on the ship, especially seeing Unga's size. She wasn't taking any chances. She turns towards the bed, looking for any clothes for her to change into. To her surprise, a small white and brown bundle rested on the edge of the bed and a pair of boots was lying beside it. She bends down and begins to untie her boots and slips them off. She straightens and unbuttons her dress, allowing it to fall to the floor, for the buttons reached all the way down to her waist. She grabs the pants first and slips them on. Surprisingly, the pants fit snuggly around her waist. The shirt came second, hiding her corset – which she refused to take off, thank you very much – easily. It was loose enough that it didn't show any of her top assets, so as not to give the crew any ideas, but it was tight enough that it didn't hang off her too much. She grabs the boots and quickly slips them on over her slim feet. They were a little wider than her feet, but she could manage. When she finished, she walks to the door and opens it to reveal the hallway behind it. This hallway was made of metal, with intertwined, squealing pipes pumping out small tufts of steam. The pipes were so meshed together that no light or sound passed through them, for there were no spaces in between the pipes, which came in different sizes (basically, their wall is made of pipes). Her friends were waiting outside with Unga. Jou and Malik were leaning against a larger pipe, shooting wary glances to Unga. Ryou and Yugi were looking at Unga with something akin to fear or awe. Jou notices her appearance first, and smiles at her, pushing away from the wall. Unga notices second, walking down the hall and motioning for them to follow him.

Yugi stares at Unga from behind. He couldn't get over the man's sheer _size_. It wasn't that he was taller than Yugi; it was that he was so much _wider _than the small boy. The flaming hair atop his head gave him a few inches. It didn't help that his eyes looked like lit embers, and seemed to see into his very soul. The flaming man looks back at him after feeling eyes boring into the back of his head. He smirks at Yugi, who could only smile weakly in return. Jou growls lowly in his throat, as if warning Unga. He did not like it when people threatened the people he cared about, whether intentionally or not. Unga looks over to the blonde in surprise, although he was not at all afraid. The blonde was too thin and wiry to seem very intimidating. Finally, they reach the end of the hall. Unga pushes the door open and all of them file out onto the deck. The teens – except Malik, who was sulking too much to care – stare at the deck in wonder. The masts loomed high over them with ropes thrown in a seemingly haphazard way in the air above them. Some of the crew had stopped to look at them in surprise. The ones that did didn't stare long; Unga had that look on his face that clearly said that they would be in for it if they didn't get back to work. They were led to a small table stationed near a large cauldron that seemed to be bolted to the deck of the ship, which was made of metal instead of wood. Perfectly fitted plates created the surface they were standing on, and they could see larger plates than the rest were littered around the deck. Several pirates would randomly lift the plates up by an unseen handle and disappear below the deck.

"You, and you! C'mere fer a sec." Unga calls to two nearby boys. One was small, with fur all over his face, hands, and every inch of exposed skin. A thin tail swayed lazily behind him. The other could pass for a normal human if not for the pair of feathery wings that were folded behind his back.

"Aye, sir?" they say in unison, saluting smartly.

"Quit yer salutin'. You, monkey-boy, take these two – the two blondes – wit ya below deck an' show him what ya supposed ta do down dere."

"Wait, what?" Jou says in confusion. A furry hand grasps his and Malik's hand and begins to lead them away.

"Hey!" Malik protests, although he didn't struggle much.

"Just go, you guys. We'll meet up later." Yugi says softly, pushing them towards where the furry boy was leading them. They sigh, but follow, although they complained the whole way there.

"An' you," Unga says when the trio reaches one of the large hatches, "You take these two – the brunette and the little shorty here – wit ya an' show 'em what ya do on the ship." The boy nods again and drags Yugi – who had a pout on his face from the 'shorty' comment (he wasn't short, dangit, he was _vertically challenged_) – and Aiko, who didn't looked too thrilled to leave Ryou all on his lonesome. Unga whirls on Ryou, who cowers at the man's menacing smirk.

"C'n ya cook, little man?"

"Y-yes." Ryou squeaks. Unga smiles happily for the first time since they met.

"Good. You'll be workin' wit me."

Both males walk towards the cook's station, the smaller more timidly than the other. Aboard the ship, all pirates - and guests - go about their business as normal.

Unfortunately for them, none of them heard the bottom hatch release, nor saw the small dingy sailing away from the Millenium out into surrounding space.

NOT PART OF THE STORY:

No.1: I made it so the DM can withstand space and water. It makes it easier for the story and how they can come to Domino.

No.2: This Code is the Pirate's Code, like in POTC (don't feel like writing the whole name…). I don't know if this is in the pirate code, but I put it here anyway.

No.3: I figured I might as well explain the whole 'human' thing. If they are not from Earth, then they are not called humans by the masses. In this world, it is technically politically incorrect, but the 'humans' first used it when they came in contact with people from another world. It's kinda like how African-Americans were treated in America before the civil rights movement, only the people are from other planets. The planets are like countries, considering they all are subjects to the Queen (who will make her debut in the next chapter…you'll never believe who she is!), who is like the Queen of England during colonial times.


	7. Author's Note

NOT A CHAPTER!

I just wanted to let all of you know that I made some important changes to Chapter 6 to help tie into Chapter 7 better and make the story flow better.

Stay tuned for the next installment! (I feel like an announcer on a TV show.)


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